Do you know when to stop talking?

One of the most pervasive and common problems I see when dentists communicate with patients is talking too much.

My guesstimate would be that 80% of dentists talk too much.

Talking too much can lead to:

• explaining a whole bunch of irrelevant and confusing details about proposed treatment

• using up valuable time talking about pointless things (does anyone truly enjoy a conversation about the weather?)

• never giving the patient time to mentally process information and make a decision

• coming off as pushy

Of these four problems the third one is the most serious and should always be avoided.

When discussing treatment options with a patient the moment you ask, “So, what would you like to do?”, you need to stop talking.

It doesn’t matter if the patient sits there for two seconds or two minutes, the thing to do is zip it and quietly wait for an answer.

Let the patient think, process and come up with an answer. The wait can feel uncomfortable but it is important.

Years ago, I had a nurse who found the silence so uncomfortable she would squirm on her chair. I told her that if she couldn’t wait quietly she had to leave the room, but over time she got used to it.

Next time you ask a patient for a decision sit quietly and wait. It might feel uncomfortable but it is time well spent.