By Dr. John Paul, FDA Editor
We’ve all had the patient who does most of what we suggest but never wants to leave our office. What do you say when your patient asks, “Why do I have to go to a specialist? I’m so comfortable here.”
“Mrs. Gruntbuns, I have a friend down the street who is an expert in the treatment you need. It’s all she does, and she is faster, better and cheaper than I could possibly be for you. What she can do in 45 minutes would take me three hours and two visits. For this procedure, my service isn’t the best and I want the best for you. When she’s done with your procedure, she will send you right back to me and I will take care of the other things you need.”
Maybe your patient needs more than one specialist. “Mrs. Gruntbuns, your condition is complicated and will need a team of dentists to restore your mouth the way you want it to be. We’ll work with specialists for those things because they do much better than I could, but I’ll always be the ‘general manager’ of your care. You may ask me questions anytime about the care I provide directly or the services our specialists are providing.”
Have a question you have a tough time answering? Send it to Dr. Paul at jpaul@bot.floridadental.org.
Beyond the Bite 