Delivering Bad News To Your Dental Patients

We know that delivering bad news to your dental patients can be almost as difficult as receiving the bad news. You probably encounter bad news situations weekly or even daily in your dental practice, and we know it doesn’t really get any easier.

Delivering Bad News

As a dentist, it’s your job to locate the dental problem, diagnose it, and then discuss the treatment options with your patient and address any questions or concerns they may have. In the end, it’s up to your patient to choose the type of treatment he or she receives, including the option of refusing treatment altogether. If this is the route your patient chooses to take, you need to take a step back and allow him or her to own all the problems that will eventually come with a lack of treatment.

Even though you may want to, there’s no way to force a patient to receive treatment. As long as you’ve done your best to present the diagnosis, and outline the consequences of refusing treatment, you have done your job. You can feel good knowing that you did all you could in the face of bad news.

Delivering bad news to patients is probably one of the worst parts of being a dentist. It’s always a bit of a comfort when your patients choose the healthiest course of treatment, but the refusal of treatment can make a tough diagnosis even worse.

Here at CTC Associates, we want to make your job as easy as possible. If you’re looking to take your dental practice to the next level, or if you have any questions regarding dental acquisition or sale, please contact CTC Associates today.