I know that if you were the one with the toothache, you’d
just man up and come see me, right? So this is about your sweetheart,
girlfriend, wife or significant other.
Ever since I became a finalist for Redbook’s Hot Husband award, when
people aren’t giving me crap about it, they’re asking how I got nominated.
Well, the secret really is my wife – but tips like those contained in this post
certainly don’t hurt if you’re running for Hot Husband in your own household.
I often hear that “root canal” is the scariest phrase in
dentistry. People assume the whole experience is going to be painful and then
you’ll hurt for a week, but that’s not the case. Most patients who come in
needing a root canal have already felt the pain of a toothache for days or
weeks and can leave feeling better than they did when they came in.
If your wife or girlfriend (or husband/boyfriend) is
complaining of a toothache but resisting going to the dentist, you can help to
reassure her. There are two main reasons people resist seeing their dentist:
the fear of pain and the fear itself. If your partner is afraid of the pain,
you can reassure her that she’ll be numb for the entire procedure and
afterwards, most root canal patients feel better because the toothache is gone
(and we have some great pain medications available).
Sometimes the real issue is the fear itself. A typical root
canal involves three visits to the dentist’s office and, for a person with a
dental phobia, that feels very overwhelming. We make our office as relaxing as
possible with music and video programs that patients can watch. We also offer
nitrous oxide sedation and, as
with most dentists, can write a prescription for an anti-anxiety
medication to be taken before the visit. I’ve seen these medications help
people overcome years of dental phobia – when they can come in and sit in the
dentist’s chair without feeling panicked, they start to unlearn that reaction
and soon may not even need the medication.
If your partner has this phobia, one of the best steps you
can take is to encourage her to use the anti-anxiety medication for a few
visits and see if that makes a difference. Also if she takes the medication,
you definitely want to be available to drive her to and from the dentist – but
even without the medication you may want to take half a day off work and plan
to provide the transportation. Show her that you’re there for her.
The first visit of a root canal is when we drill the tooth,
clean it out and fill the area where the blood and nerve used to reside. That
day and the day after there can be some pain and swelling, though this is
usually well handled with over-the-counter pain medication. This is your
opportunity to be extra sweet, encourage your partner to rest and avoid chewing
on that side of their mouth.
She’ll have to come back for two more visits because most
root canals also involve a crown on the tooth. The second visit prepares the
tooth and takes a mold for the crown and in the third we apply the crown. These
visits are less intensive than the first but still give you a great opportunity
to get extra points for taking care of her. Haven’t you noticed that you get extra
points for any household chores you do when she’s not feeling well? With a root
canal, you know ahead of time the days when you have a real chance to shine.
