Article: The foundation of any good doctor-patient relationship is effective communication. Talking to your dentist before, during, and after procedures can help minimize your fears. Speak with your dentist before the procedure about any fears or concerns you have. You may also want her to explain the procedure to you before it begins. Ask your dentist to keep you informed as she is doing the procedure. Remember that you have the right to know what is happening. Tackling a fear can cause any person to lose confidence and avoid a situation. Employing the behavioral tactic of scripting before your appointment can help you engage with otherwise scary situations and minimize your fear of the dentist. Scripting is a technique where you conceptualize a game plan or "script" for a specific situation and follow through with it. For example, if you are scared of an upcoming teeth cleaning, write notes and develop a plan that will allow you to have equal command of the appointment. Think about what you could say in response to any questions or contingencies that may arise in your interaction. If you fear a dentist's visit or a specific procedure, frame it in simple terms. Framing is a behavioral technique that can help you shape how you think and feel about specific situations by making them seem commonplace or banal. If you are afraid about having your teeth cleaned, you can reframe it as, "This is a quick procedure that's just like brushing my teeth." Working with smaller and more manageable units can help you overcome any fears. Relaxing can help you have a more pleasant experience at the dentist and may minimize your fears. From breathing exercises to medication, there are different relaxation techniques you can employ to manage your dental phobia. Many dentists will suggest using nitrous oxide, sedation, or anti-anxiety medications such as alprazolam to help you relax during your visit. Some dentists will give anti-anxiety medication before appointments if you suffer from severe nerves. If you take any anti-anxiety medication that your dentist did not prescribe, make sure that she knows before you start a procedure to help ensure that there aren't any potentially dangerous interactions between medications. Be aware that using these medications during a procedure can make it more expensive, which dental insurance may not cover. Try breathing exercises to help relax you. You can breathe rhythmically to a count of 4 seconds of inhaling to 4 seconds of exhaling. If it helps, think the word "let" as you inhale and "go" as you exhale to help your mind release your fear as much as possible. If necessary, double up on your relaxing techniques. You can use a variety of different media to help distract you during a dentist's visit. Listening to music or watching televisions your dentist has installed can help relax you and may minimize your fears. Many dentists now have MP3 players or televisions and tablets they offer to patients to help distract them. If your doctor does not offer any of these, ask if you may listen to soothing music or a book during your appointment. You can also use a stress ball to help distract and relax yourself during your appointment. You may also want to listen to soothing music or watch a funny video before your appointment to help you relax and associate the dentist with calm, which can help you overcome your fears. Consider asking a friend or family member to accompany you to your appointment. She can help to distract you from a procedure, and also may help calm you. If you are extremely anxious, ask the doctor if your friend can accompany you to the procedure room. Knowing that another trusted person is in the room may help you to relax. Many people fear the dentist because of complicated and often painful procedures such as a root canal. By getting regular cleanings and checkups, you will not only help yourself overcome your fear of the dentist, but also prevent serious oral health conditions. Make sure to take care of your oral health on a daily basis to minimize the risk of needing complicated procedures. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day and making sure to floss can go a long way in preventing problems. The more often you get checkups that are positive, the more quickly you can overcome your fear of the dentist. After an appointment, reward yourself with something you want or by doing something fun. This can help you associate dental visits with rewards instead of fear. For example, you might want to buy yourself something small like a shirt or a pair of shoes for going to the dentist. You could do something fun like going to a local amusement or water park. You might want to avoid rewarding yourself with sweets, which could cause cavities and require more dental visits.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Communicate with your dentist. Script procedures that scare you. Frame dental procedures in simple terms. Employ relaxation techniques. Distract yourself with different media. Take a friend or family member to your appointment. Prevent serious dental problems with regular visits. Reward yourself for positive appointments.
Article: Police will only investigate activity that violates state criminal law, so find your state's law that applies to criminal fraud and make sure it applies to your case. Specifics differ from state to state, but generally the person must have lied or misrepresented an important fact to induce you into providing him with money or some other benefit. For the crime of fraud, the prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person knew the information he was stating was false, but lied anyway to realize an unfair gain. For example, one common Craigslist scam involves fake rental listings. The criminal finds a home for sale on a real estate site and copies the information for a Craigslist ad, using his own email address. When interested would-be renters contact him about the listing, he explains that he has had to leave the U.S. quickly often because of some sort of missionary or other work in Africa. He then instructs the person to wire a deposit of first and last months' rent overseas. Of course, the home is not available for rent and the person who wired the money will probably never hear from the supposed "landlord" again. With a basic understanding of what must be proven to prosecute fraud, make copies of any emails or other information you have that could be of assistance to police and prosecutors. Since the person is trying to trick you, it's likely they've given you a fake name or are using a dummy email account. However, you still should keep records of all correspondence and any information you've received over the course of the transaction. Keep in mind that fraud essentially is theft by deception, so proving the intent to deceive is crucial to any fraud case. If the person didn't know the information they were giving you was false, they may not be liable for fraud. For example, suppose you respond to a Craigslist classified ad posted by someone offering to sell her 2005 Volkswagen Beetle for $8,000. In the listing, she states the vehicle has no mechanical problems. However, after purchasing the car you take it to a mechanic and discover the transmission is blown. The seller isn't guilty of fraud unless it can be proven that she knew the car needed a new transmission and intentionally lied about it to get more money from you for the car. Go to your nearest precinct or call the non-emergency number to report the fraudulent activity. In some areas, you also may be able to fill out an online form to file a police report. Contact information for all local law enforcement agencies in the United States is available at http://www.usacops.com. When you give your report to the police operator or officer, include a detailed, chronological description of all events or communication that took place between you and the perpetrator. Provide as many details as you can and make any documents you have such as copies of email correspondence available to the department. Once the official report is completed, ask for copies and take down the report or reference number in case you need them for other reports. If you are filing an insurance claim or need to report a financial loss to a bank or credit card company, having a police report number can be valuable. As the police investigate the activity, you may need to provide further information to them about the listing or your interaction with the person. Retain the originals of any documents or electronic files in case investigators need to inspect them or use them as evidence. If you have emails with the perpetrator, you should keep the original files intact, if possible, since emails contain header information that can be used to trace the location of the sender.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Research your state's law. Gather information about the incident. Contact your local police department. Get a copy of the police report for your records. Cooperate with investigators.