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Professional Courtesy: All of Your Patients Are Famous Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

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All of Your Patients are Famous
by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine
Imagine for a moment if a patient of yours recently died. During the course of his life he spent a small fortune on his failing teeth. He had numerous extractions over the years, finally getting dentures and in his remaining years, he owned multiple sets of dentures. Are you proud of the care you provided or do you consider his dental time with you less than successful?

Ultimately, this can be a glass-half-full vs. half-empty type of discussion. Dentists often believe that the loss of teeth or fabrication of multiple dentures is not success. I'm here to say you should be very proud of the work you did, as you sometimes have no idea of the troubles patients have before you meet them for the first time.

The hypothetical patient in the opening paragraph was George Washington, the first president of the United States. His dentures are often part of any dental history highlight film, and no, they were not made from wood. We know he ended up with dentures, but how did he get there? In spite of all the progress our profession has made since the 1800s, is his story any different than some of our current patients? As with many of our patients, he suffered over time losing teeth as they became problematic. In fact, he became so frustrated with his problems he sent letters to dentists seeking help. This is a quote from a letter he wrote to a prospective dentist in 1783, "Having some teeth which are very troublesome to me at times and of which I wish to be eased... by a man of skill."

Does this sound like an e-mail you could have received from a potential patient? If you don't receive such a note, your patients certainly share similar worries when they come in for their first visit As I said before, you should be happy for the opportunity to help and treat it as such. Beyond treating their dental disease, you have a distinct impact on their quality of life and the life of those around them. Here is an undated quote from George Washington: "At home all day - not well. Still indisposed with an aching tooth and swelled and inflamed gum."

Perhaps George Washington's note is one of the first documented cases of someone unable to work due to dental pain. It's no secret that untreated dental disease is responsible for millions of dollars in lost productivity. So instead of feeling helpless about the people who you do not treat, start to take pride in the patients who have come for your help. Remember how mundane George Washington sounded as a patient before his name was revealed? It does sound like fun to say that you are the dentist to someone as famous as the president of the United States. Rather than dealing with the peculiarities of famous people, see the fame in your regular patients. Their fame or importance can be defined by the impact that their well-being has on others. Keep them healthy and they can be productive, happy citizens. Take them out of pain and they will be forever grateful to have you relieve them of the burden that is chronic pain. They will tell their friends and share stories where you are the hero. The next time a patient sends an e-mail detailing dental problems or tells you troubles at a new patient exam - see the opportunity to be a hero. Your patients might be more famous than you think.

Do you want to share the story of a famous patient (names withheld)? Send me an e-mail: tom@dentaltown.com or comment online.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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