Common mistakes to be avoided by dentists

Lot of people are quite apprehensive about visiting dentists because they are scared about the treatment that they would receive. As a dentist, your first job would be to keep their fears at bay and to make them feel comfortable in your presence. It is more important to know what you shouldn’t do than what you should do, so that you become successful in your career. Here is a list of common mistakes that you should never commit as a dentist:

  1. Waiting for your patients to open up

As a young dentist, it is understandable that you might feel nervous and may wait for your patients to open up about their teeth-related problems. However, this is a big mistake as you need to be aware about the nervousness that your patients would be already undergoing in your presence.  At least 30% of patients visit dentists only because they are compelled by their family members or because their pain becomes unbearable.  As a dentist, you should first make them comfortable and then encourage them to open up about their pain, symptoms and other problems, so that you are able to diagnose properly.

  1. Being very curt and direct

Being straightforward and direct is a virtue for other human beings, not for doctors and especially a big no for dentists. It is so surprising that patients who have undergone serious cardiac surgeries confidently in the past are petrified about a root canal procedure! Dental issues have the uncanny knack of scaring people away; therefore, you need to be very polite with your patients. You should reassure them about the simplicity of the treatment, how better they are going to be post treatment, what they can enjoy that they have missed out all this time and similar topics. During your process, you should never be too strict or nervous, as it frightens your patients away. Try to divert them by asking them about their passion, career or other interesting stories so that they feel at ease.

  1. Not knowing where to draw the line

If you are a dentist who is just starting out his career, you need to admit that there might be several factors that are beyond your understanding mainly because you are inexperienced. If a particular patient’s ailment requires specialised care, you should immediately refer him/her to a specialist. Engaging in trial and error medication is a serious crime and you should know where to draw the line when it is about skill and experience.

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