A right to know
Many dentists do not show all their patients ideal treatment.
They show their patients the cheapest treatment or a compromise treatment or parts of ideal treatment but very, very few dentists show their patients the very best that dentistry has to offer.
A common example is when dentists root fill a tooth but do not place a crown on that tooth to prevent fracture.
Rationalisation
When I challenge them as to why I get a response like:
“They can’t afford ideal treatment.” or
“I offered them a crown two years ago and they weren’t interested.” or even just
“They wouldn’t want that,”
My point is, if you don’t offer ideal treatment you will never know.
I have so often been amazed that patients who look like they can’t afford it, accept ideal treatment.
A right to know
Let me put it another way: I think patients have a right to be told about ideal treatment.
You are not doing them a favour by only showing them what you think they can afford — you are doing them a disservice
If, for example, you don’t tell them about strengthening a root-filled tooth with a crown and the tooth subsequently breaks who is at fault?
I’d argue that you are.
But, if you tell them and they choose to take their chances then it is not your fault if the tooth breaks.
It all gets down to how you offer treatment to patients.
If you offer in the correct way then patients will never be offended, in fact they will be grateful.
