“I want patients to know their role in the damage in their mouth.” ~Dr. Bruce B. Baird
I thought it was my fault.
I don’t know about you, but when I see a patient in my chair who is upset with their failed dentistry, I take it personally. Or at least I used to. I came out of dental school thinking if my work was perfect, then my dentistry would last. And I spent many frustrating years early in my career redoing failed dentistry that I thought was my fault.
But here’s the thing: it wasn’t my fault. The patients’ history and behaviors were increasing their risk factors and causing the dentistry to fail. You can do the best work in the world but if your patients drink soda all day, take certain medications for other health factors, don’t have good oral hygiene practices, and don’t come in for recare, the work you do won’t last.
It’s time to start putting the blame for dental problems in the right place. It’s time to start educating patients on what is going on in their mouth. It’s time to start diagnosing on risk factors.
So join me today as I talk about how you can inporporate risk factors in your diagnosing and treatment planning, including:
- How to frame a converstaion about risk factors
- Phrases to use with patients to bring up their risk factors
- Framing the conversation so patients take responsibility for their oral health
Never miss an episode! Subscribe on iTunes & Spotify. Visit us at http://www.productivedentistpodcast.com
https://productivedentist.com/podcasts/the-productive-dentist-podcast/episode-133-requested-replay-diagnosing-on-risk-factors/
Episode 133: Requested Replay - Diagnosing on Risk