For a long time I have been interested in understanding what patients want and need from their dental experience. I asked people what they wanted and most often their answers were 'competence,' 'caring,' 'honesty,' and 'no pain.'

Although these words had meaning for me, I was not clear what they meant to the people stating them. Dictionaries give definitions of words but what words mean to each of us is based on our own life experiences. A general semanticist once said, "Words don't have meaning, people do."

Over time my interest grew to wanting to understand what it feels like to be a dental patient, what it means to be a dentist, and how to improve the experience for both.

It is clear that many people are not comfortable in a dental office, despite the great psychological, health and self-image benefits dentistry offers. By discovering what each person hopes to gain from the dental experience, and learning the different issues each person has with dental care (e.g., wanting to feel heard and understood, not wanting to feel anxious, etc.), I was able to research techniques and develop techniques that improve the experience for both patient and dentist.

The following is my TOP TEN LIST of what patients want and need from their dental experience.

10. People want a competently run office.
People appreciate a well managed office.

9. People need the dentist to confront issues in a positive way.
The dentist needs to discuss and help problem-solve patients' issues.

8. Patients want a friendly, responsive, and supportive staff.
Results in higher patient comfort, trust and a feeling of well-being.

7. Patients need to feel anxiety-free. When a patient expresses feeling anxious, we discuss different approaches we use to eliminate anxiety.(1) I coach him or her in 'Dr. Mansky's Simple 5 Minute Dental Anxiety Cure, (it works!), talk about Nitrous Oxide's history and how it may benefit, how we give shots without pain and how our staff wants to make their experience easy. If all that's not enough to eliminate or dramatically reduce their anxiety, anxiety-control medication is available.

6. NO PAIN! ...A no-brainer

5. Patients want to feel connected with the dentist and staff. When people feel connected, they feel a sense of belonging, a sense of being part of a relationship with others. When patients feel connected to their health care providers they feel safe and protected.

4. Most patients want open communication with dentist and staff. People are not always comfortable expressing issues with the treating dentist or staff. It is important that patients are given an opportunity to express what is on their mind, even if they feel it may be uncomfortable for the dentist or staff to hear it.

3. Patients want to know the dentist's suggestions takes their concerns and issues into consideration.

2. Patients want skilled treatment.
Competent treatment is central to the dental experience. The dentist and staff need to keep up-to-date as well as focus their attention fully on each moment. A dentist who does not keep focused does not get good grades.

And the #1 most important thing people want and need from a dentist is...

1. Patients want what they want!
The dentist must understand what his patients want, their priorities and issues in dealing with dental care. Although some patients are clear about these subjects, others need the dentist to elicit this information. In our office we question new patients with the intention of understanding their thoughts and feelings about the direction we need to take for them to have what they want and need.(2)

So what is this all about? It is about you knowing that you are understood and are connecting with your health care provider, and that there are people who are interested in your well-being while you get the dental health and cosmetic benefits that you want.

2006 Marvin Mansky, DDS