| Subject: On my soapbox regarding dentists |
Author:
Cap'n Nemo
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Date Posted: 12:15:15 07/17/04 Sat
Granted, a dentist needs to have technical expertise, but I am sick and tired of dentists who are lacking in communication skills. I propose that dental schools train students extensively in (1) how to listen to patients and really hear their concerns (2) how to communicate effectively with patients based on attentive listening and speaking truthfully to a patient(3) how to communicate with empathy and (4) the need to base communication on the patient's best interests, not the dentist's agenda
Most dentists I have encountered are poorly skilled in communicating simply and directly. Often, dentists will avoid saying anything, then when it is too late, tell you the awful truth: "Oh, by the way, that tooth we've been concerned about for the past year will have to be extracted--and the one next to it as well." What tooth? The dentist never mentioned any tooth he was watching before. And by early intervention, both could have been saved. I was never informed and never given an option until it was too late. And so it goes.
I have always, since my youth, done what the dentist told me to do. Brush, floss, come in for regular visits, etc, etc. I've had lousy luck in choosing dentists who really give a damn about me and my teeth. The dentist I finally switched to after my last fiasco, seems to have a conscience, empathy, and expertise. And my orthodontist, bless her, talked to me for an hour about concerns the periodontist expressed about the approach my ortho was using to my teeth (expander rather than jaw surgery) I've never had a dentist talk to me longer than 18 seconds at a time before.
I'm sure there are top-notch dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, and other dental professionals out there, including our forum's Dr Rick, who gives so generously of his time and expertise to us, but I think the Dental Schools need to really push communication skills development in school, before they push the freshly minted dentist out the door.
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