Greeting the Patient

     It may seem silly to have to say it but say 'hi' to your patient. And look them in the eyes while doing so. Extend your hand to shake hands while introducing yourself. I prefer to say, "Hi, I'm Jeff" or "Hi, I'm Jeffrey Dorfman." I prefer to avoid the distance created by saying, "Hi, I'm Dr. Dorfman." Be enthusiastic and warm. If you are rather youthful-looking and are concerned that a patient might confuse you with support staff then you might try, "Hi, I'm Dr. Dorfman. Everyone calls me Jeff." Make the patient feel welcome and that you are genuinely happy they are there. I will always refer to a patient by their first name. You cannot just point a patient to a chair and start working.

     You must feel confident in yourself and project that feeling to your patient. You must feel and act happy to take care of your patient. Patients will sense your anxiety and will notice a frown because people are frightened enough when they walk in and are hyper-alert. They are looking for verbal and nonverbal clues about what to expect. It is critically important that your words and behavior make them feel comfortable.

     Why are patients so afraid of dentists? I understand that the two most anatomically sensitive parts of the human body are the teeth and the genitals. The genitals are extremely sensitive so that reproduction occurs. The teeth are also extremely sensitive because this sense of touch, along with the senses of smell and taste, help people differentiate food from non-food which was especially important before they developed the cognitive ability to do so. So, you combine a particularly sensitive part of the human body with possibly a few bad prior experiences and the result is a patient who greets you and clings to every potential clue about whether you will hurt them.

     I strongly suggest that dental students form groups and role play dentist and patient with other students as observers. Watch non-verbal clues and listen to verbal ones that may affect the patient's experience. These groups could also pretend, or actually perform, dental procedures with the intention of specifically focusing on all the interpersonal skills involved with the patient visit.