Mistakes dentists make (part 1)

In my seminar "Master the Art of Case Acceptance" I warn against the 23 case acceptance mistakes that dentists commonly make. This week and the next two weeks I will give you three of the major ones. These mistakes waste time and often result in patients deferring or rejecting needed treatment.

Mistake #1 — Speaking before you have mental clarity

So often dentists start explaining things to patients prior to getting everything clear in their own heads. That is a huge mistake. It leads dentists to say things such as "We might perhaps have to one day think about a root filling on that tooth." or "We could consider looking at doing a crown on that tooth."Such statements confuse and annoy patients. Do they need a root filling or don't they? Do they need a crown or don't they? This is the confusion that ensues when a dentist hasn't fully worked out what a patient needs and just starts "shooting the breeze." Is this a mistake you make? If so, you are in the majority. I estimate over 80% of the dentists I have observed make this error.In my seminar I teach dentists that "Lack of mental clarity leads to wishy-washy case presentation."