“I think you are ready to assist and do some suctioning.”
My face grew into an eager smile, ready to experience what it’s like to sit chair-side along a real dentist.
“I must warn you," she continued while putting on her mask, "the patient has a phobia of the dentist that stemmed from a bad childhood experience.”
The first patient I will ever assist will be just as nervous as I am, if not more! When the patient arrived, I listened. She told me about her childhood and why she was so fearful of the dentist. The more we talked, the less nervous both of us became. It felt like our anxieties were being washed away like how the tide retreats from the shore. It was natural. When it was time for me to suction, I realized how there is a weird amount of trust for a stranger to let me put loud tubes in their mouth. I also realized how dentists not only need to be delicate with procedures, but also with people's emotions. When everything was finished, I walked her out into the waiting room. By the end of the appointment, the patient and I no longer shared anxieties, but rather a trustworthy smile.
