A Child Remembers

Abstract

T h e a n t i c ip a t o r y fe a r s o f t h e c h i ld p a t ie n t a n d h is s o m e t im e s t r o u b le s o m e e n c o u n t e r w i t h th e d e n t i s t a r e a t im e le s s p a r t o f th e s t o r y o f d e n ­ t i s t r y . B e c a u s e o f th e p a r e n t s ’ n e g le c t in s u p e r ­ v i s in g t h e o r a l h y g ie n e o f t h e i r c h i ld r e n , th e c h i l d is a b r u p t ly ta k e n t o th e d e n t is t f o r th e a l l e v ia t i o n o f t o o th a c h e . T h i s e m e r g e n c y v i s i t o f t e n r e s u l t s in a n e x t r a c t io n a n d in th e c h i l d ’ s ( a n d th e f u t u r e a d u l t 's ) a s s o c ia t in g th e d e n t is t w i t h p a in a n d s u r g e r y . S o m e p a r e n t s u n w is e ly d e c e iv e t h e c h i ld b y th e f a ls e ly c o m f o r t i n g a s ­ s u r a n c e t h a t “ i t w o n ’ t h u r t y o u ” a n d t h u s n e ­ g a te th e d e n t i s t ’ s e f f o r t t o t r e a t th e c h i ld p a t ie n t w i t h a n h o n e s t a p p r o a c h t o t h e p r o b le m o f n e c e s s a r y p a in . T h e j u v e n i l e d e n ta l e x p e r ie n c e s r e p o r t e d b y r e m in is c e n t a d u l t s in c lu d e m a n y i t e m s r e la te d t o t h e i r d e e p ly f e l t r e s e n tm e n t o f t h e p r o c e s s e s o f d e c e p t io n p r a c t ic e d b y s o m e p a r e n t s a n d d e n t is t s .