Stop minimising!

I was just watching a YouTube video about a lady who was dental phobic. She had been gluing her her front teeth (which had dropped out several years earlier) back in with super glue.

On camera the dentist who was treating her described it as "one of the worst cases I've seen".

Yet, when the dentist sat down to examine the patient she described her examination (in a little high pitched voice) as "I'm just going to have a little peep around." What a way to introduce your thorough and comprehensive examination! A little peep around.

Why do dentists do this?

The reason is that many dentists are so paranoid against offending patients that they feel they must minimise everything. As discussed a few weeks ago in this blog dentists, when they are consumers of health services, want the honest truth. But, when they are providers of health care services they often sugar coat things.

If you'd like to watch the video it's below. Referring to the examination as a "peep around" is at 2:12.

I contend that patients want the truth. They want honesty and authenticity. They don't want minimising and sugar coating. You shouldn't deliver the truth brutally but you should deliver it without sugar coating.