24th April 2015

Presenting all the options

It is important for patients to receive all the options available to them when they come to you for treatment as well as an honest recommendation. In some instances, dental implants are not the treatment I recommend. It’s all about finding the best solution for your patient.

Honest feedback goes a long way

Patients respond well to honest feedback and it goes a long way to building your reputation as a dental professional. I received a lovely letter from a lady in response to the detailed assessment I sent her after her consultation. It read:

Dear Mr Jones,
Many thanks for the time you spent with me to assess my case.
At this stage I have decided to explore a metal denture with Dr R.
If I find that is not suitable I would then have implants and a bridge.
I was very impressed with your care and attention, and hope that you would consider treating me in the future should the metal denture not be suitable.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Mrs B.Y.

Finding tailored solutions that meet your patient’s needs

In another case where a patient had lost a front tooth as a result of a rugby accident, we placed an implant to prevent bone loss after the broken root was extracted, but have left him with a temporary ‘sticky’-bridge until he decides to hang up his boots. A blow to an implant would result in a broken jaw rather than a broken tooth. Again, it is down to me to tailor treatment to the whole person, rather than just filling a gap with an implant, and I want to repay patient’s trust with honesty and integrity when planning and providing treatment.