I certainly hope not! Yet, I hear this statement all the time as patients are worried about being yelled at or having to apologize for not making an appointment before they ran into a problem. I have never and will never yell at a patient. In fact, I am ecstatic that they are finally coming in and taking care of their oral health.
It was just today, that I saw a patient for the first time in 4 years. He came back to me because, he was treated very well, the last time that I saw him. He was pleased with the quality of care and he was looking for more of that type of dentistry. However, I just wasn’t a priority in his life. He had other things to tend to as we all do. Now he presented with broken, loose and worn teeth. He was in pain and needed some emergency care. He also needed a general plan to move him away from emergency dentistry into a plan and new life style which centered around the health of his mouth.
I made room in my schedule to treat his immediate problem and map out a plan for him. We figured out his dental insurance and helped him obtain funding for his portion after the dental insurance would be over. This is something that we do on a routine basis for our patients. We understand dental insurance plans in depth and know what to ask the insurance company to make sure that the patient receives what they are entitled do under their plan. He was grateful for this. We also found an affordable monthly budget plan to fit his desires and need.
And it is not just I, who am on board regarding a postive attitude toward the patient. My excellent hygienist, volunteered to come in on her day off to help remove the bacteria and deposits from the gums. This, as we all know, is one of the keys to reducing disease in the mouth. A big shout out goes to her for making herself available to help this patient get past his concerns and even embarrassment for staying away so long.
There is no point or positive benefit in berating a patient. The key to turning one’s mouth to a state of health is to forget the past. Today is the first day for this journey. It may consist of better diet or less junk food. It might be something as simple as rinsing your mouth after eating. These are all small steps that move us on this route to a state of health. We will help you find the right devices to clean, brush and floss your teeth. Sometimes pairing the right device with the right patient is all that is needed to turning around a mouth that is a disaster to one that is pristinely clean.
This Thursday, June 23rd, at 6PM, I am hosting another patient seminar at my office. We will talk about what constitutes health and what we need to do to attain this state. We will talk about how we can fix problems and the options that are available to you. There is no charge for the seminar and I will have visual aids to help illustrate my points. You can ask me any question that you like and I will to my best to answer them for you. And of course, I will never yell at you for staying away from a dental office. If you have any questions or would like to reserve a spot as space is limited, please call us at 440.951.7856 and educate yourself about dental care and oral health. If you are shy on the phone , then go to my website,www.jeffreygrossdds.com and register online. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’m looking forward to seeing you and meeting you this Thursday.