DO’s and DON’Ts for Dentists

Dental Specialties Institute, Inc. has been providing quality education and hands-on experience to many successful dental professionals since 2000. During these years, we have noticed specific actions and characteristics among the best of them. And regardless of how long a dental professional has been practicing or where they practice, these actions and traits always hold true. Take a look at our list of the DO and DON’Ts for dentists.

The Do’s

Understand How the Masticatory System Works

Without understanding how the whole systems function, predictable dentistry is impossible. The masticatory system includes structures and organs involved in mastication – the teeth, jaw, and their supporting structures (lips, tongue, cheeks, oral mucosa, muscles of mastication, and temporomandibular joint.)

Get to Know Your Patient’s Personality, Concerns, and Goals

Every patient that walks through your practice’s door is unique regarding their goals, considerations, and fears. First, understand what a patient needs, wants, and expects from you, for higher treatment acceptance.

Communicate the Problem and the Implications of Not Treating It

“What is going on in my mouth?” Every patient deserves to know the answer to this question. Explain what’s going on in their mouth and what will happen if they don’t treat the problem.

Communicate with Your Lab and Specialists

Give your lab and specialists all the information upfront they need so they can be successful. They are an extension of your team, and you should treat them well.

The DON’Ts

Skips Steps/Parts of the Exam

There is no need for guesswork in dentistry. Nobody can avoid failures and remakes, especially if you don’t have complete and accurate data.

Treat Every Patient the Same

You need to take the time to understand and get to know each one of your patients. Dentists know that no two mouths are the same. That also goes for the patients.

Assume a Patient Doesn’t Understand or Want Treatment

There is no room for assumptions and, as a dentist, you should consider them unethical. It’s a part of your job to inform each one of your patients of health issues and the consequences of not addressing them. Whether they want to proceed with treatment is up to them to decide.

Push Treatment on a Patient

Patients must want to solve their dental problems before they accept treatment. And if they don’t want to solve them now shouldn’t worry you, because it doesn’t mean they won’t want to address it later. Be sure to help them understand their problems and be there when they come back to treat them.

Failing to Plan a Treatment

Every treatment should start with the end in mind. If you develop a plan of where you want to end up, you will be able to figure out how to get there. Show the method to your patients as well, so they know what to expect.

Blaming the Lab

The results are not what you want, so you’re blaming the lab? Yes, it’s possible that they messed up but is it possible that you didn’t give them all the info they needed to provide you with what you wanted? Yes, absolutely. Next time, make sure that you gave your lab the full set of data and are treating them as a partner in dental treatment.

Dental Specialties Institute, Inc. has been founded in 2000 and has been providing complete and comprehensive education to dental professionals since. We are approved by the Dental Assisting National Board and the Dental Board of California. Feel free to contact Dental Specialties Institute, Inc. for further information or browse our website to see the programs we offer.