Comfort
One of the things that helped me build a successful practice is a "painless" injection technique. I did not develop it; I learned it from my mentor, Gerry Loewe, when I first started in practice more than 30 years ago.
Most restorative procedures can be stressful for the patient. My thought process is that if we can begin the procedure surpassing the patient's expectations, we definitely have set the patient up for a positive experience. Hopefully, this will lead the patient to telling others how great the office is where they have their dentistry done.
Here is my protocol:
Swab the area that has been dried with air with a good topical anesthetic. Currently, I use Best Topical Ever. I let that sit for 30 seconds. Then I SLOWLY inject a carpule of 4% Citanest. This has a ph close to neutral, which, along with the topical, helps make this injection "painless." I use a 30-gauge needle. Then after waiting two minutes, which is timed, I give a second injection SLOWLY of 4% Septocaine 1/100,000 epi. The area has been numbed by the first injection, and after waiting another two minutes, we are ready to begin.
I have had my fair share of dental treatment. I know I always appreciate extra steps that ensure my comfort. I'm sure your patients will also.
I use that technique as well and it's great! My patients always tell me that I give great injections. I learned it from Bill Strupp.
Thanks for the tip on the Citanest and Ph for comfort. I also blend a Lamaze technique of nerve gate theory where I give commands at the moment of injection such as "open your eyes, blink twice, wiggle your fingers, relax your shoulders" and that overloads somewhat the injection experience.
Get them in the Frontal Lobe of there brain (concrete thinking). Takes them out of the Amygdala (which is pain emotion association area). Then follow with the above anesthetic. Works for me.
Can't resist.....
See "Waterboy" Adam Sandler, His Medula Oblangata ........
