How Do You Respond to the Patients’ Greatest Hits?

People are all different, and people are all the same. Anyone who works in a service profession, such as dentistry, comes to understand this paradox intimately. Every person you encounter has a unique background and personality—that's part of what makes working in a people-centered profession so interesting. At the same time though, people usually have the same motivations and concerns. In that sense, if you have been in the dental profession long enough you will be able to anticipate what patients will say and do in many cases.

The question then becomes: what do you do with this advanced intelligence you possess? If you know what's coming, how well are you prepared for it?

For instance, every practice is familiar with the "Patients' Greatest Hits"—the questions and requests you get most often:

• "Do you take my insurance?"


• "What is your fee for___?"


• "I only want a cleaning."

Those are just a few examples, and you can find my suggested responses to them here, here, and here. You, no doubt, have many others you could add to the list.

Too often, these patient queries end up derailing a conversation or putting you on the defensive. If they are handled the right way, however—with confidence and efficiency—they can actually transform the moment into an opportunity to have a high-value discussion.

The point is, these are patient issues that come up every day and will continue to come up for as long as you are in the business of providing dental services. Doesn't it make sense for the whole team to master the ideal responses to them?


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