Patients are feeling ashamed, guilty and fearful when returning to the dentist after postponing dental visits, according to a Feb. 1 Washington Post article.
The article explores patients' feelings about going back to the dentist well past the recommended time. Dentists also weighed in on what they've seen from their patients regarding the subject.
What dentists told The Washington Post:
Warren Woodruff, DDS. (West Bloomfield, Mich.): I'm like, "You've got to take your mask off or I can't help you." I always try to tell them: "What I see from you, I've seen a lot worse."
Nimish Maniar, DMD. (Lake Mary, Fla.): You would not believe how many people have … come back with a feeling of shame.
Amira Woodruff, DDS. (West Bloomfield, Mich.): The majority of my patients who stayed away are people … who've had previous bad experiences at other offices. So they love that they've had an excuse not to come.
What patients told The Washington Post:
Addie Tsai. (Houston): There's just this building anxiety that the longer it takes for me to get back there, the worse it's going to be. I know I'm going to get lectured.
Jennifer Glatz (Berlin, Conn.): I didn't go all of 2019, then 2020 happened. I was silently praying … that I didn't ignore my problem so long that it would be a bad situation for me.
Marlowe Keller (Seattle): I'm not skipping anymore. I'm not going to have this happen again.