Laughter is good medicine

THE MOST beautiful thing about sincere laughter is how sudden and unexpected it is, how you instantly see and feel things from a different and humorous perspective. Laughter allows a wonderful sense of relief, and the momentary realisation that life isn’t as serious as it seems. Laughter not only alters the way we see a situation but it puts us in a state of ease and relaxation.

People tend to take dental visits very seriously, including the dentist. The dental office is inclined to be very quiet with low sounds of drilling, buzzing, suctioning and the occasional screaming. I can see why it may be difficult to find humour in such a situation but there is always room for levity in everything. The more light-hearted we feel, the better the experience.

In the past, the dentist-patient relationship has generally been built on the foundation of fear and expected pain. However, if we can find a new way of seeing this relationship, the whole dental experience will be transformed. Your dentist is a person just like you, with their own concerns and it is their greatest desire for your visit to be successful. A successful visit begins with a pleasant greeting from the dentist and the patient. Let us not forget, the dental experience is very intimate. Think about it, minutes after entering the room, you’re lying on your back, mouth open and a stranger is drilling away. So you might as well be pleasant about it.

Here are some points that may help you see your dentist and your dental experience with more humour and ease.

Ironic things about the dentist:

- Your dentist probably hasn’t visited their dentist in over a year (or more).

- Your dentist is probably more scared of you than you are of them.

- Your dentist is probably terrified of needles too.

- Your dentist is probably a worse patient than you are in the dental chair.

Things you may not know about you, the patient:

- You’re probably not opening your mouth nearly wide enough.

- If you have to ask if the procedure is over, then there is a 90 per cent chance it isn’t.

- Don’t bother lying about flossing, we can tell if you have been.

Life is meant to be fun and you’re meant to be joyful in all situations. We just have to make the effort to find the humour in everything. Also, always remember your dentist probably wants to be out of your mouth as much as you want them out of it, so try to enjoy your dental visit.

Dr Desiree Duncan is a dentist at Friendly Smiles Dental. Email feedback to desiremd18@gmail.com, yourhealth@gleanerjm.com or call 876-346-0237.