Tooth Fairy In The Making

Compassion

I don't think I'm a very compassionate person.

Sometimes when a patient I dislike comes through the door I groan inwardly and wish I didn't have to deal with them. They're brash, they demand for all sorts of things, they are usually complaining because they're in severe pain and all you want to do is to get them out of the chair as soon as possible. Isn't it their own fault they got there in the first place?

However, yesterday as my patient asked me to please give him a shot of LA to put him out of his misery, even for 1-2 hours - I was compelled to feel compassion. After all, if I was having pain that was 10/10 wouldn't I be cranky too? I mean, of course they should have considered brushing their teeth more but it's already done, but we nothing is going to change that so we should just move on and try to do the best we can.

As I bent over to give the IANB to the patient, telling him it might not work anyway but we try our best, his expression and personality visibly changed. By the end of the carpule he was as meek as a lamb and by the time he got out of the chair - all gratitude.

I guess it doesn't matter that another woman abused me for refusing to give her more than 10 tablets of Panadeine Forte - "I know you can prescibe more than that you're just saying you can't!" or that I was stuck in the clinic from 6-8.30pm when everyone else in the hospital had long deserted the place.

At least I put one man out of his misery for 1-2 hours.

Labels: Dental School

posted by Dental Girl at 8:44 AM