Editor's note: Dr. Doniger's column, Dental Diaries, appears regularly on the DrBicuspid.comadvice and opinion page, Second Opinion.
It was the first official day of spring, but the weather was not aware of the calendar. In Chicago, it was dreary and rainy, a great day to just sleep in. But, as professionals, we were in the office and on time for our patients.
That being said, on that rather bleak Monday morning, my eight o'clock patient strolled in a bit late. And as we began tilting him back, he said, "Are we done yet?"
I joked and said we were closer to being finished than he had been a few minutes ago when he was still in the elevator.
We began his treatment, and after three minutes, he again asked, "Are we done yet?" We had barely begun! But again, I assured him we were getting closer.
Throughout the procedure, he asked the same thing, jokingly, a few more times. When we finally were finished (earlier than anticipated, I might add!), I said, "You made my morning! And yes, you are done now."
I have another patient who uses a stop watch when he comes in. He asks how long the treatment will be and sets his watch. For the most part, we finish earlier than his designated time, and he is thrilled when the treatment is concluded earlier than estimated.
We all have patients like this. They are great patients, maybe a little nervous, maybe just trying to lighten up our day, but how we respond to them will either make or break our relationship with them. The art of humor is something everyone needs to embrace. You never know when you will have to dip into your stand-up comedy routine.
That Monday patient, a lawyer, was not nervous nor was he in a hurry. He was just trying to make light of the situation. I blame it on the spring equinox. Everyone is a little anxious for the end of the gray weather.
I think about the TV commercial with the man droning, "Are we going home now?" Or the kids in the backseat saying, "Are we there yet?" Depending on the patient, or the procedure, sometimes we dental professionals are thinking the same thing.
Sheri Doniger, D.D.S., practices clinical dentistry in Lincolnwood, IL. She has served as an educator in several dental and dental hygiene programs, has been a consultant for a major dental benefit company, and has written for several dental publications. Most recently, she was the editor of Woman Dentist Journal and Woman Dentist eJournal. You can reach her at [email protected].
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