By the time they were done talking, 20 minutes later, Willie happily opened his mouth as best he could for this new dentist. There were no underhanded comments about people like Willie or an overt unwillingness to treat Willie's infected tooth.
This dentist took even more time and explained to Willie everything he was going to do to Willie at the next visit. He didn't dumb Willie down. Later this dentist said he knew Willie was that intelligent that he needed to know every detail to best handle his anxiety. Every step of the way, this dentist explained that if it gets too much for Willie, he will come back another time and do the procedure under general anesthesia.
After Willie happily departed the room, I held this dentist back and asked why not just put him out and get it over with? I mean, at this point, that is what I want. Well, this dentist had quite a response. He told me that he wanted Willie to be able to walk into his office, to get his root canal, and be treated just like everyone else. I guess he meant that he didn't want to assume that Willie couldn't do it. That he was not afraid of Willie.
This whole dental debacle have sparked and triggered Willie's PTSD. He is again constantly talking about his past and the abuse he went through. The other dentist is now in the "abuser" category in Willie's mind, despite what I say.
Thing is, I realize how defensive and afraid I have become too. Walking into this new dentist's office was plain frightening. During the entire appointment, I had to pinch myself to make sure things were truly going this well. I hugged Willie's new dentist. For we finally found one. Let the healing begin.
