The Patient’s Dilemma: A Fear of Masks and Needles
Our story begins with a patient walking into the dentist’s office, nervously clutching the arms of his chair. Like many others, he wasn’t too fond of dental work. But what really set him apart was his specific fear—needles and the thought of suffocation from wearing a mask.
When the dentist suggested using nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to calm his nerves, the patient immediately protested. “No way! I can’t do the gas thing. The thought of having a mask on suffocates me!”
Unfazed by the challenge, the dentist offered another solution: a pill. “Are you okay with taking a pill instead?”
The patient’s relief was palpable. “Pills? No objection at all! Bring it on!”