That's when I can do the relationships: Innovative dentist-patient rapport

An interview with my wonderful dentist, A. Nonnie Mouse, DMD

Why do you have so many posters and cartoons on the ceiling?

At first, I put things on the wall. I asked a patient what they thought: “But the ceiling is where we spend most of our visit, looking up there.” But that’s daffy!, I thought. I went into a restaurant, saw the blue ceiling and stars, and I noticed that kind of thing at other restaurants too. Maybe in my practice it’ll be considered classy, like in the restaurants!


Why do you hand patients your own home-made educational materials at the end of the visit?

A patient told me, “You have a lot of good ideas [during the visit] but I don’t remember anything!”

So I developed a newsletter, that I write about two times a year [about oral health and wellness]. That’s what I hand out to patients, basically as an expression of my own craving for health and sanity. Because there are little ripples – for example, if you smile at somebody, it could make their day; who knows how it will ripple out? It may make a big difference in somebody’s life.


How’d you come to have patients listen to music they like during visits?

Early in my career, it just felt so good. I felt it would be an alternative to injections and all the stuff we do that’s intrusive. I must have picked it up through a personal experience, and it resonated.


Why do you do your own cleanings? I’m sure you give up some money by doing that.

It just came. That’s when I can do the relationships; I like that a lot. When people want to connect with me especially during check-ups, they share their feelings with me and me with them. I like that. If I share personal experiences, I feel good, and I get a lot out of it.

But when I do fixing, I don’t talk much—restorations, crowns, bite balancing - the reconstructive, repair part of dentistry - I’m a different person, in my own world.


What are your favorite days?

Check-ups, because I like people to become healthy, and I can shmooze more with check-ups. It’s fun.


My brother was seven years younger than me. He almost dropped out, because he had encephalitis. He felt abandoned, and almost died, but he came back. I had the same feeling of abandonment during my early years. Several years later, I thought, if I can help my brother to make it, that will be fine. That’s an underlying feeling. I won’t be truly healthy in this lifetime, but if I can help others to do that, that will be fine. That’s delightful to me; my presence is worth it. That, and sharing love, will make my life worthwhile.