The importance of greeting and listening

A new patient arrived at the dental practice and was accompanied by his wife who was a regular attender at the surgery. One of the dental nurse’s roles was to assist with taking the medical history, which was a form ticked and signed by the patient. The dental nurse noticed the patient looked worried and was nervously glancing around the waiting room. She took him into a reception room used for taking the medical history. She greeted him, sat him down and after asking about his journey explained to him that a medical history would be required, as he was new to the practice. The patient stated that he was very nervous, due to a previous bad experience with a tooth extraction. He said that he hoped he would now be okay during treatment, but was not sure. The dental nurse listened carefully to his concerns and explained that the visit was for an examination, and possibly some X-rays, and that any treatment needed would be fully explained by the treating dentist and discussed with him. She asked if he had any further concerns and he replied that he felt greatly reassured. His examination and subsequent treatment was successfully completed.