Dissatisfied and angry patients are a serious reason to reflect not only on the quality of our work, but also on our approach. Any doctor may come across a patient who loves a scandal and is ready to start an argument for no reason at all, but 80% of problems are still in the dentists’ own hands. There are rules that reduce the likelihood of mistakes.
Every patient, whatever their financial means, asks about the cost of the necessary treatment at the very first consultation. The costs should be set in advance. But there are “unique dentists” who quote one amount and then add extra charges once treatment is finished. Of course, this can be explained by the fact that patients only take in part of what the dentist says, but the patient was not warned about it in advance. The patient may see this as “extortion”. If the patient doesn’t like confrontation, they simply won’t go back to that doctor; and if they are a person of principle, they will demand clarity on the prices and, at the very least, an explanation of why they weren’t warned in advance.
The best way to avoid such unpleasantness is honest work. Everything has its price; if you follow this rule, you won’t have to remember who you quoted what, and there will be no unpleasant disputes.
There is one more obstacle in a dentist’s cloudless life – greed. You can’t earn everyone’s money or treat everyone’s teeth yourself. You need to assess your own capabilities soberly and attract patients based on what you can actually do, not dazzled by the expected payment.
We must not forget about the comfort of waiting patients either. The clinic team must provide patients with proper service from the moment they arrive until they leave.
The administrator must know their duties thoroughly, develop proper conduct and treat every patient attentively, without exception. This is important for the overall impression of the medical institution. If you create a negative atmosphere as soon as a patient walks into the clinic, even perfectly done work won’t help restore the dentist’s reputation.
Incomplete medical records can also get in the way of good relations with patients. Only correctly and fully completed records can spare you silly mistakes and serve as your evidence if a patient is dissatisfied. You may have done everything well, but only a document signed by both doctor and patient can prove it.
