CONTROL OF PAIN

CONTROL OF PAIN ONE OF THE

MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF
THE PRACTICE OF DENTISTRY IS
THE CONTROL OR ELIMINATION
OF PAIN. IN THE PAST, PAIN HAS
BEEN SO CLOSELY ASSOCIATED
WITH DENTISTRY THE WORDS
PAIN AND DENTISTRY HAVE
BECOME ALMOST SYN-ONYMOUS.
 RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
PITTSBURGH HAS PROVED THAT MORE
PATIENTS STAY AWAY FROM DENTAL
OFFICES FROM FEAR OF PAIN THAN
FROM ALL OTHER REASONS
COMBINED. THIS SHOULD NO LONGER
BE A FACT, SINCE PAIN CAN BE CON-
TROLLED OR ELIMINATED IN ALL
PHASES OF DENTAL PRACTICE. 
PAIN IN MANY INSTANCES IS CONSIDERED
A NECESSARY ELEMENT OF EVERYDAY
LIVING BECAUSE IT IS A WARNING OF
TROUBLE. IN THE PRACTICE OF
DENTISTRY, WE DO NOT CONSIDER PAIN
AS A WARNING SIGNAL BUT AS AN EVIL TO
BE CONQUERED. AS SHOWN IN THE
PRECEDING DISCUSSION, PAIN IS DIVIDED
INTO PAIN PERCEPTION AND PAIN
REACTION. THEREFORE ANY METHOD OF
PAIN CONTROL WILL AFFECT EITHER OR
BOTH DIVISIONS.