“It’s not your fault if they don’t brush, don’t wear their guard, or don’t come in for recare. It is your fault if you never told them.” – Dr. Bruce Baird
Brief Overview
For years, Dr. Bruce Baird carried every failure on his shoulders. If a crown broke, if a patient developed gum disease, if restorations didn’t last, he felt it was his burden. Everything changed when he discovered the power of identifying risk factors and communicating them clearly to patients. In this episode of the Productive Dentist Podcast, Dr. Baird shares how dentists can let go of guilt, empower patients, and create a culture of responsibility that transforms both patient outcomes and professional satisfaction.
What This Episode Reveals
• Why dentists mistakenly own every failure in patient care
• How to identify and explain risk factors in plain language
• The patient exam that leaves people saying, “That’s the best exam I’ve ever had.”
• Why being a consultant, not just a clinician, creates trust and referrals
What You’ll Learn
• How to shift responsibility from dentist to patient without losing trust
• Practical scripts for explaining periodontal risk, dry mouth, occlusal forces, and decay
• Why patients need to understand why problems happen, not just hear “you need this”
• How to enjoy dentistry more by letting go of the stress you don’t own
If This Sounds Familiar
• You feel weighed down by patient failures that were not your fault
• Patients get frustrated because they don’t understand why problems keep happening
• You want patients to take ownership of their health, but don’t know how to communicate it
Next Steps
Stop carrying it all yourself. When patients understand risk and responsibility, they value your expertise more, and stress decreases for everyone. Subscribe to the Productive Dentist Podcast and explore Clinical Calibration Institute to align your entire team.
The Clinical Calibration Institute helps you:
• Align your team
• Improve communication
• Build systems that turn confusion into clarity
- Learn More at ProductiveDentist.com/CCI
The Dentist Doesn’t Have to Carry It All (E.256)