A wise old dentist once told me ‘dentistry is 85% communication and 15% manual dexterity’ (I’d like to think some of that 15% includes a level of artistry as well!)

What my dad meant was that without a high level of communication – in his opinion – good dentistry can’t happen.

What do we mean

• make the patient feel at home – on the first visit!
• explain all the options and their pros and cons
• talk about fear and pain upfront and how to minimise both
• be honest about the fees
• take time to explain all the issues that can and do occur for a given treatment
• discuss honestly how long the treatment will last and the necessary maintenance

The more we know about a new situation, the less frightened we are by our ‘imagining’ about what may occur. If the patient feels able to approach the dentist and the team at any time with any concern, or question, no matter what it is,  then it often happens that 90% of the previous nervousness, phobia or plain fear disappears.

Communicating gets the right results

With the right level of understanding, there need be no second thoughts or surprises, and we are given the proper permission to carry through with our high level dentistry. Building a level of confidence that the results will always match the expectations agreed between dentist and patient, means that patients feel right about things the whole way through

• they know the dentistry looks good and will last
• they are happy and comfortable and devoid of fear
• they get to know how passionate we are about our work!

In the end. It’s all about connecting with people for me too. And that’s what gets me to work every day. That’s what inspires me.

That’s why I do it.