In his book The Power of Now, spiritual leader Eckhart Tolle discusses the concept of the pain body . . . Tolle: The pain-body is my term for the accumulation of old emotional pain that almost all people carry in their energy field. I see it as a semi-autonomous psychic entity. It consists of negative emotions that were not faced, accepted, and then let go in the moment they arose. These negative emotions leave a residue of emotional pain, which is stored in the cells of the body.
In everyday general dentistry, the power of these negative emotions surface. For some patients, it will be demonstrated as through an open discussion of their past experiences and a commitment from both the patient and the dentist to honor open communication during the procedure. More frequently, patients will stoically mask their chair-gripping fear, silently suffering as they angrily “tough it out” or – as a surprise to me – laugh in a way that seems an inappropriate response to pain.
In our office, we make every effort to address the creature comforts of our patients receiving treatment. But even so, the truth is that some aspects of life’s discomforts just fall under the human condition.
Yesterday I shared a tremendous experience with a patient. The gentleman had fractured a molar, and the large silver filling had remained. Though he was completely numb, there was a moment of anticipation and surprise during the procedure, invoking an involuntary tearful response, much in exaggeration to the event preceding it.
I recalled the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, completely stopped the otherwise-routine procedure, and invited the patient to share his memory with me. He had been a teenager when that tooth was first filled – 45 years prior. Back then, there was no anesthetic for his filling (and it was quite deep!). His family had hardship that he survived, so he likewise endured this painful dental experience stoically as a child. He recalled the circumstances leading to his particular pain, and I guided him to find solace for the boy he was, and power in the way he had manifested completely different circumstances as an adult.
We were both so moved by the emotional healing that took place that day.
The truth is, this kind of thing happens EVERY DAY.
EC