Stop making excuses

So very often I hear dentists give reasons why they didn't tell patients about the ideal treatment:

• "They couldn't afford it."

• "They wouldn't be interested."

• "They only want the cheapest."

It's almost as if the dentist is a mind reader who knows what the patient can afford and what the patient wants without even asking.Then when I pose the question to them: "How would you feel if your medical doctor didn't offer you a treatment because they thought you couldn't afford it."The answer is always: "I would be upset. It should be my choice."If you feel like that then maybe your patients do too.What they want is to be treated like adults, given their options, then allowed to make a choice. They want to be give respect, not patronised and have decisions made for them without asking.So, next time you're thinking of not telling a patient about ideal treatment pause for a moment and ask yourself: "How would I feel if I was treated that way?"