"Dentist's Consultation" Vs "Physician's consultation"

By enlarge majority of patients are willing to pay a hefty consultation fee to a physician or a general surgeon without the slightest of frowns and that too for mere 5-10 minutes of consultation and further without much of emotional involvement and gestures of the doctor . Even if the amount of fee pinches to them ,they won't utter a word Infront of the doctor.

Whereas even the most educated ones sometimes question a very genuine dental consultation fee for a routine  30 -45 minutes of dental consultation which involves heart n soul of the dentist.

This is a nationwide unspoken heartache of whole of the dental fraternity . This is the bitter truth whether we talk about it or not.

Further addition to the agony of a dedicated dentist is when same patient is conditioned to pay again to the same physician ,for same ailment after the period of 3-5 days and that too without speaking or objecting for paying the consultation fee. But the scenario is quite different in case of dental consultation. The majority of dental patients think that after paying once , they are entitled to get the consultation of their dental doctor for lifetime even for different set of problem and at times for treatment of an altogether different tooth. WHOOSH!!!!!

This is draining.

These unpleasant vibes of our dear patients rob away the happiness n satisfaction involved in delivering the best to our valuable patients.

The reason for such indifferent behaviour of patients towards any dentist could be very simple. It's just the lack of awareness about the demanding aspects of dental consultation n treatment.

Dental patients can slip into medical emergencies at times even during our consultation majorly due to the anxiety  n phobia associated with dental treatment . It's a huge responsibility to even consult a dental patient especially when they are coming in immense pain, with lot of anxiety, the small children, the geriatric age group etc. etc.etc.

The dentist is just not consulting for the dental pain or complaint for which the patient has reported to the clinic, but also playing a role of psychotherapist to sooth out their anxiety, the role of a  general physician to tackle any medical emergency ( if any), further  he may have to provide additional human touch n pampering incase of pediatric patients.

Our very basic n routine procedures n examination like examining the gum( periodpntal pocket), oral prophylaxis... involve blood , saliva n aerosols. It makes the dentist as well as the patient very prone to cross infections. To avoid these cross infections all dental consultations and procedures demand very high grade sterilisation which comes at a cost. This golden point a patient needs to be aware n understand so that they can pay happily to a dedicated dentist for this " back - breaking  job."

Till now we are discussing only the dental consultation n the minor routine procedures. We have yet not reached to the grave procedure which a competent dentist perform so easily n efficiently for which a general surgeon would actually demand a planned mental preparation.

Almost all dentists after a practice of 10-15 years are prone to develop slip discs and other spine health issues because dentistry is a back - breaking job.

So dear patients ! A dentist just expects a regular maintenance of your own oral hygiene and pleasant mutual understanding of the fact that as all patients need a good doctor, same way a doctor also need good patients  who can empathize his efforts  in every situation.

  Patients demand guarantee of even smallest of procedures n that too without taking care of their oral hygiene themselves. They expect Dentist to be a magician....but without understanding the fact that even for a magic show they need to pay for the ticket...haappilyyy....!!!