More about Root Canals

A few weeks ago I posted an entry about a trip to the dentist for my first root canal and detailed some of the leadership lessons I observed during my visit. The circle wouldn’t be complete without the final chapter in this tooth repair saga so here is a brief update and another important principal to becoming an effective leader.

The molar that required my initial surgery had recently been crowned, an expensive procedure involving a couple of visits to the dentist. Naturally I was dismayed when I learned that the newly placed crown would be drilled through during the root canal procedure. The dentist assured me that repairs to the crown would restore it completely and so last week I returned to the office for the final steps in this process.

I admit to a pretty high threshold for pain but dislike the dentist drill, even when my jaw is numb and my tongue feels like leather. The dentist announced that the temporary filling would be removed without the usual Novocain and then must have caught a look at my face. Yes, my mind was telling me, there is no live root in this tooth so it won’t hurt but I couldn’t help wondering if this wasn’t too good to be true. He was quick to reassure me that, while there would be the usual noise and water spatter, the procedure would be painless. I would need to trust him.

Trust is a funny thing because it can mean different things to different people. I generally view trust through my own experience with others and their behavior towards me. If they have been consistent in their actions and words then I can “trust” them to respond in the same way if a similar circumstance arises. My dentist would probably fit this definition of trust since I have known him and his colleagues for some time now and have observed this predictable behavior.

However, my position in the dentist chair was unlike any other occasion I had experienced and the advice he was offering couldn’t be validated by any of my previous trips to their office. I was at a distinct disadvantage. How was I to trust him? Would there really be no pain? That is where my definition of trust needed to take a different turn. Leaders must be vulnerable at times – admitting weaknesses, asking for help, and revealing fears. If I was to have a “pain-free” experience in the dentist chair it would require this type of trust. And so I settled back and allowed the persons who knew my misgivings to do their jobs.

The results were just as he had promised; grinding noises, water spraying, and NO PAIN. I’m glad I had the courage to trust my dentist and can only hope that someday he will experience the same level of trust when I am the one holding the drill. Just kidding!