Strategy, energy and time required to motivate your husband is directly proportional to the years of marriage! So, if you are newly married and say “darling, I am going to the dentist”, you will be shocked to see that he would be tying his shoe-laces even before you have completed your sentence.
However, if you are past that stage, convincing him can be no less than a psychological warfare!!! But, before you convince him, it is necessary that you are convinced yourself as to why it is absolutely essential for you and your family to visit the dentist.
As truly quoted by William Osler, “oral cavity is the mirror to the rest of the body”, avoidance of dental issues can cause several health problems in the long-term! So, seek out with all the “saam”, “daam”, “dandh”, “bhed” and get him to the dentist before it’s too late!!!
Why is it important for him to visit the dentist?
- Mid 20’s or above is the age where our hectic lives can force us to consume junk food, tobacco and alcohol on a regular basis which can be detrimental to oral and general health.
- With advancing age, we become more prone to gum diseases.
- 34.6% of adults in India consume tobacco out of which 47.9% are males and we all know that tobacco increases the risk of cancer to not only the oral cavity, but also the pharynx, larynx, esophagus and lungs.
- Lastly, dentists can treat SNORING! So, if you have those sleepless nights and are tired of fighting over it…its high time you get him to a dentist!
So, why is your man avoiding the dentist?
- Fear – past experiences can impact the psychology in a humongous way! He could be fearful of the pain, sound of the drill, lights, chair or just the idea of opening the mouth for long hours. All this could induce anxiety in him and men with their egos will avoid any such situations which could make them look weak!
- Embarrassment – if he suffers from low self-esteem or if he is overly conscious about the appearance of his teeth, he may avoid visiting the dentist.
- Indifferent attitude – the “Oh! I am so Macho, I couldn’t care less” attitude of your man, could be a reason to avoid the dentist too. He may think a slight tooth ache or loss of a tooth couldn’t affect his invincible self!
- Money – he may feel that the treatment costs are high. However, explaining him that as the treatment gets delayed, the costs go zoom, may make him run to the dentist asap!
- Busy schedule – men usually prioritize their work over themselves. Emphasize that health is wealth and cut down on that shopping trip to squeeze in the dental visit in his schedule.
So, how to finally convince him to visit the dentist!
- Communicate – Explain to him that you are worried and wouldn’t let poor oral hygiene get into the way of his well-being or into the way of your romance! Mostly, he would be encouraged by the latter but in any case, it’s a win-win situation!
- Make it a date – You can offer to go with him or you can ask him to come along for one of your own routine dental visits which can help him to get acclimatized to the dental environment. So, if he sees you getting treated, it might bring out the man in him!
- Make him a SUPERHERO – tell your husband that he could set an excellent example for your children if he visits the dentist regularly. His negative attitude towards the dentist could cause your kids to react in the same way and affect their dental health in future! It is definitely a form of “emotional atyachaar” towards your husband but can definitely prevent transfer of dental anxiety to your children.
- Don’t fall prey to his excuses – if he gives reasons like busy work schedule, tell him that there are clinics like CLOVE DENTAL which operate even on weekends and are located at multiple areas around you. So, next time he can give excuse for a family function but not dental visits!
- Be patient – a psychological issue can cause significant distress. So, counselling your husband yourself or professionally can help in long-run. Help him to overcome his concerns by gently and tactfully guiding him to make him realize that his fears are, in fact, not based on logic but are purely fictional.
- Lastly if nothing works for you, get him to watch movies like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” or “Finding Nemo”, which show that DENTISTS MEAN NO HARM!!!
No doubt men can be perplexing creatures sometimes! But, overall, it’s not difficult to convince them. A little patience, understanding and realization of the fact that ‘mard ko bhi dard hota hai”, could help you to motivate that spoilt kid or that adamant adult in him to reach to the nearest dental clinic!
