TBU #042 How To Dismiss a Dental Patient and Why Its OK

 New Issue of The Biomimetic Uprising (from last week.  Sorry didn't upload right)

Read Time: 3 min

 Balancing a schedule that fits all of your patients needs can be complicated.  There are so many things in the day that we need to be doing as biomimetic dental practice owners. As an owner, we are doing the key production, the human resources, the maintenance, the marketing, the managerial tasks, and often times the collections, scheduling, and other important office duties. 

In a previous issue of The Biomimetic Uprising you can read about finding your ideal patients.  It focuses on using fees and schedule to your advantage. Fees are a good gateway to the practice that will help sort out who is serious and who is casually looking.  As practice owners we are always trying to find the patients that are ready to commit to our practice as we commit to them.  We have gone through extensive training, education and have perfected our craft.  We have made a name for ourselves based off of this.  However, there are always some people that find a way into your practice and don't seem to value the services you provide.  

I recently had a patient from another state seek me out.  She found my office from searching the web and contacting other doctors.  She eventually called one of the dentists that I have previously trained and he told her to give me a call.  She had a basic dental knowledge and understanding but was also very inquisitive of biomimetics, immediate dentin sealing, conservative preps, etc.  I took her phone call and answered all of the questions she had regarding my style of work.  Eventually, she made the decision to drive 3-4 hours and cross state lines to come see me.  I was obviously very excited about her level of commitment and desire to further her dental care with me.  

We preformed some great work and seemed to help fix her current dental problems.  She gave numerous compliments saying things like 'she feels better', 'things aren't hurting anymore', 'she can finally eat', etc.  By all signs the treatment seemed to work as planned. However, when it came to completing a few of the steps, she became worrisome over some of the materials chosen.  In 2015, she had some concerns about dental materials and sensitivities.  I    wasn't made aware of this until it was time to seat a restoration.  

Side Note. One thing I love about biomimetics is that the materials we use perform the best according to the science but are also super easy on the body.  I have a lot of holistic patients and they are concerned with materials.  Biomimetic materials and products, like most products, haven't shown as a negative on these material sensitivity reports.  Meaning they are safe to use without any allergic sensitivities. 

So back to my patient.  She was concerned about finishing some the work.  She ended up refusing to complete the treatment.  She became hysterical and caused a scene in front of other patients.  It wasn't fun and obviously the mood changed within the office.  I ultimately reminded her that she had sought me out for my expertise for how I restore teeth I offered numerous solutions to no avail.  

As biomimetic dentists, we are highly trained and specialized in what we do.  We know our techniques, we know our materials and we know how to treat patients according to the science. 

My point to all of this is to find the people that want to work with us.  It is ok to say 'No' to patients if they are not the right fit for our practice. There so many people out there that want our services.  We honestly cant give enough time to help everyone that we would like.  We need to give our time to those that respect us and are willing to work on our terms according to our trainings.  If not, it might be better to dismiss to free up that much time for our office staff and ourselves. 

It was mutually agreed upon while she was in the office to part ways. I also ended up writing a dismal letter to formalize it.  Freeing yourself from the extra complications that come with people that aren't a fit, is one of the most stressful situations but also the most rewarding. Focus your time on serving those that truly want and need it. 

Whenever you're ready, here are the ways I can help you:

1.  If you're looking for better application in your practice, take a look at our online courses and guides 
   1. The Foundations Of Biomimetic Dentistry
   2. How To Do Biomimetic Posterior Direct Composites.
   3. Get our 53 page biomimetic protocols guide for posterior direct restorations. 
2.  Join our ever growing community and get instant access to our group chat, shared resources, on-demand help, along with networking with the leaders in biomimetics. 
3. Work with me 1:1 to grow your biomimetic dental practice.