Be kind on yourself

In our practices we all have a range of patients — some excellent, some good, some OK and a few who give us a real pain in the neck.

Sadly, many dentists try to be all things to all people and that means they take on a lot of frustrations. They put up year after year with the patients who give them a pain in the neck. You know the ones — when you see their name on the day list you get a knot in your stomach.

I'd like to suggest that in the interests of both our stomach lining and our finances we are better off getting rid of the really bad patients. Not in a rude aggressive fashion but gently by becoming less available or less accommodating or charging more or all three.

Let them go off an make another dentist's life sad. Without that negative energy in the practice its amazing how good patients come along to fill the gap.