VISITING THE DENTIST SCENARIO
According to a survey conducted by the American Dental Association, almost 25
percent of Americans don”t go to the dentist as they nurture deep-rooted fears.
According to the general public opinion there’s plenty to fearpain, needles, gagging,
feeling of helplessness, invasion of personal space, and being lectured for not brushing,
flossing, or visiting often enough. Of course, avoiding the situation can make matters
even worse when a patient does finally visit the dentist. Some patients, especially older
ones, are reluctant to visit the dentist due to fears based on bad experiences when they
were kids. However, the dental industry has evolved tremendously over the years,
eliminating almost all pain for patients. Many dentists go even further to dispel patients’
fears, offering sedation, painkillers, entertainment, atmospherics, and spa services
during a patient’s visit. While sedation and painkillers have been offered for years,
several others are trying newer alternatives to enhance the dental experience for their
patients. For example, some dentists offer entertainment options such as TVs,
headphones with soothing music, or goggles for watching 3-D movies. Spa services
include warm neck rolls and hand and foot massages all in a Zen-like environment
complete with soothing waterfalls and candles. The most common technique, though, is
simply to provide “service with a smile”, which goes a long way in making patients
comfortable. The hope is that these efforts will minimize patients’ anxiety by creating a
positive atmosphere that will result in the recommended twice-a-year visits. Refer to
Visiting the Dentist Scenario. Patients feel fearful of visiting the dentist, though they
also know that keeping up the recommended twice-a-year visits is actually good for
them. This is an example of _____ appraisal.
a. equity
b. outcomes
c. anticipation
d. agency
e. retrospective
Jim considers himself a cheese connoisseur. He spends his weekend visiting various
cheese stores, trying out samples of different cheese and learning more about them.
However, Jim hardly buys anything during these weekend outings. This is an example