Approximately 70% of my dental patients are afraid:

[PCIntern]

afraid of losing the job; afraid of losing the pension; afraid of losing the lifestyle; afraid of losing the family's respect; afraid of going bankrupt; afraid of getting physically ill due to the stress; afraid of the ringing phone lest it be a bill-collector; afraid of the dark - that time of day wherein the dire thoughts overcome rationality; afraid of the alarm clock whose chiming might represent the beginning of the end - the dismissal, the demotion, the denigration of an individual and of a life and lives inextricably entwined; and afraid of the future, the unknown, the dismally predicted existence.

The vast majority of the other 30% do not speak out of fear, out of pride,and out of superstition.

[XemaSab]

1. Are they afraid of being groped on the chair?

:scared:

[skooooo]

7. Is that worse than being goosed?

Seriously though, this country is really in melt-down. Never thought I'd see it happen in my lifetime.

:-(

[grasswire]

2. How many are afraid of going to the dentist?

Sorry, that was my first thought. =:-o

[leftofthedial]

3. fear is the soul killer

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. I honestly believe

we're all whistling past the graveyard.

From my own life, from the people I know and love, I am seeing disaster every day.

We're in a depression, and it's getting worse.

I'm watching this crap going on in DC and I am appalled at the disconnect between the idiots on the Hill and in Governors' offices and what is happening in the lives of their constituents.

[roguevalley]

19. this country has been in depression mentally for eight years.

[Mike 03]

5. K and R. This evidence, though anectdotal, means a lot to me.

Also, you helped me a long time ago when I made a post about being afraid of going to the dentist.

[PCIntern]

6. I'm happy that I was able to help, Mike

[Blue_In_AK]

8. You're lucky you've got patients who can still afford a dentist.

[PCIntern]

10. they can't...they have insurance

and many can't pay their co-pay.

Big trouble out there!

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I'll say it, last year I needed a crown, before my insurance kicked in

I thank my parents, because there was no way in hell I could pay for it

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. I heard a pediatrician last week

who said he sees patients every day whose parents have either just lost their jobs and their health insurance or are sure they will at any time.

[blues90]

11. My lady neighbor is 62 working for playboy

And she had her life together and now is so worried she has talked about ending her life several times just due to the stress alone of not knowing what to do if she loses her job .

I know she's not kidding.

[PCIntern]

12. I have heard this as well....

many times. It's often a throwaway line...but it isn't really. It's very serious.

[blues90]

15. You're right , they say it in passing but people don't say this

without being serious and without having thought about it. I have not been able to see a dentist since 2004 and due to bad acid reflux I ended up losing all but two molars , one wisdom tooth was fixed by a root canal to use to fix in a bridge and the other bottom wisdom tooth was against the remaining molar in front of it and a few times I was in great pain now thee wisdom tooth has somehow moved to the side.

It's not possible now to get this fixed without a job of insurance.

I worry about my neighbor and my wife more than anything. I keep trying to think of a way we could help eachother through all of this. All of us are in our 60's.

I fear a lot of us are not going to make it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Usually to EMS pros, if a patient says this to me, they go for a 72 hour hold

This is no joke

[smoogatz]

14. I'm afraid of the big needle.

Why you people don't hand out Xanax at the door is a freaking mystery to me.

[Danascot]

17. Pssst

Nitrous oxide is your friend.

[lostnfound]

18. A dentist I spoke to today is SWAMPED with people getting work done now

in case they lose their job later.

[PCIntern]

20. that's what I'm talkin' about!...n/t