Increasing Number of Dental Patients are Hiring Doulas.....

Tonganoxie, KS- Ever since she was a young girl, Suzy Flanders dreamed of having a natural root canal without pain medications or anesthesia, just like in the Bible.

An inverted quantum matrix proving the myriad benefits of using of a dental doula

"When the big day finally came, and my dentist recommended the procedure, I couldn't believe it," Flanders explained. "I read everything I could find online and in the magazines in the waiting room, and the right choice quickly became clear."

What she found was a consistent recommendation to have someone present in the procedure room that been through the experience themselves. Many proponents of natural dental care endorse this practice because there is clear evidence that it might help. After discussing the idea with her husband Daniel, who she met at a local Home Depot last March, they decided to seek out the services of a dental doula.

Just like doulas that attend the birth of a child or farm animal, the specific focus of a dental doula involves being present prior to and during a procedure in order to provide reassurance, support, and information. The dental doula that Flanders found served as a calming presence and a firm yet supple voice of support and encouragement throughout the experience. "We really connected. She had been through it all herself and felt the blinding pain that I was feeling. I was able to focus on her voice and cling to it like a piece of floating driftwood during a powerful storm."

Introspective data from across the nation has shown an increasing utilization of dental doula services over the past decade. According to the American College of Dental Doulas (ACDD) there has been a steady growth in interest in Kansas as well as many other states, even Hawaii, Alaska, and Nebraska. They believe that dental doulas empower patients and ease communication with dentists, orthodontists, and their support staff without giving dental advice.

"We've moved past the point where people with gum disease and rotten teeth are learning about the benefits of natural dental procedures," ACDD president Jaime Friemdan revealed. "Now people know what they want and why they want it. They just need the support to get it."

First-time dental patients are especially vulnerable, according to Friemdan. When a dental doula enters the room, they allow for the patient to relax and focus on blocking out the agony that they are about to experience. They are ready with helpful information and encourage reasonable expectations. "We can tell the patient that they made the right choice and help them focus on the benefits of that choice between the shrieks and intermittent sobbing."

Patients interested in using the services of a dental doula need to do their homework. Unfortunately, no states require certification of competence. Some, like Tonganoxie dentist Grint Ratchey, compare the current dental doula climate to the Wild West. "You just never know what you are going to get. Some dental doulas are excellent, some don't know the oral cavity from a hole in the ground. I know when a patient has made a good choice though. They all scream, but there is an underlying peace beneath the screams that reminds me of why I got into natural dentistry in the first place."

A dental procedure can be one of the most rewarding and meaningful experiences in a person's life, but it can also be one of the most challenging. Patients who rate their root canals and tooth extractions as positive tend to express feelings of being in control. Dental doulas work for the patient, not the dentist or insurance company, which frees them from many constraints that interfere with the desired outcome. Dental procedures are about more than just fixing a tooth, they are about fulfilling a mouth's destiny.

Suzy Flanders now has had three root canals and an extraction, all with the aid of a dental doula. She is even considering a fourth root canal and is interested in having the procedure done in a warm water environment surrounded by koi and/or a dolphin. Because of her positive experiences with dental doulas, she says she would recommend them to anyone. " I will never forget when Dr. Ratchey handed me my extracted tooth, my husband on my right and my dental doula on my left, both enveloping me with gentle and relaxing energy."