Quote:
Originally Posted by lallala
to bart's reply. i see what you are saying regarding being in the opposite side of chair. however, this is the profession you've chosen, and it is what it is. you will always get anxiety from patients. it's also a very expensive to go to the dentist, and we do pay for your service technically, and also empathically.
it's really HARD to find a good dentist who truly listen to their patients without having their egos hurt.  |
Good dentists are not hard to find. They are everywhere in all major cities. However, a dentist that is a good FIT for you may be hard to find depending on your needs and financial resources. Definitely dealing with nervous and anxious patients goes with the territory, which is why myself and most dentists try to make your visit as quick and comfortable as possible using up-to-date technology and surgical techniques. Treating our patients with courtesy and respect goes without saying, as it should in any aspect of life (in my opinion). However, I do not agree with your belief that you deserve empathy since you are paying us. I will treat you with the best possible dental care I can provide and treat you with manners and respect, but generally speaking, I do not feel sorry for you. I did not put the hole in your tooth. Quite the opposite - I am trying to fix it and make you healthy again. Nor am I going to apologize for the costs of my services. The hard truth is that dentistry is expensive and surgery is often painful, and the longer you delay treatment the more costs and the more it hurts.
No matter what, our office always treats the patient with the same respect we would want ourselves. However, it doesn't always work both ways. No one budgets for dentistry or has any idea how much things costs and therefore it is always an unplanned expense. Many patients are already in pain by the time they get here so they are agitated at that but fail to realize that it is their own fault in most instances. To top it all off, many people think their insurance will be this magical financial savior when in reality it couldn't be further from the truth. I think I have "lost my cool" with a patient once in the past three years, but on a weekly basis either myself or my front desk gets an attitude from a patient or chewed out, usually related to money or THEIR crappy insurance plan that THEY signed up for or how long it will take to fix their problem.
Sorry for the rant - I just take umbrage with the idea that I should show empathy because someone is paying me for my technical services. Just because I don't feel sorry for you does not mean I'm going to do a crappy job or treat you like an animal. I will listen to your concerns and treatment desires and address them the best way I can. If you want empathy, however, go see a psychologist with a big box of tissues. To me it's like people chewing out the parking officer when they get a ticket for knowingly parking in a red zone and then start with the whole "I pay your salary" bit like that entitles them to special treatment or something.
This is an oldie but still goodie:
https://lolabees.me/2011/11/28/10-re...hates-you-too/
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