When Your Patient Is Not OK: 4 Ways to Create a Safe Space​

I was recently with one of my patients. “This isn’t a therapy session,” she exclaimed as her body tensed. My patient had just informed me of her husband’s unexpected passing. I told her it must be a hard adjustment, but she insisted she was doing fine, and that she wasn't there for therapy.

I breathed in slowly, became aware of my feet pressing into the floor, and said, “You’re right. We’re here for your dental appointment. Let’s clean your teeth.” I made eye contact as I spoke, then shifted my gaze to the screen displaying her radiographs. As I talked about an area with a carious lesion, I heard her sniffle...
                                                                                     
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