One of the greatest threats to dentistry is that it is often perceived by price shoppers as a standardized commodity. This off-the-shelf mentality undermines the dentist\u2019s message and the value of dental services and creates a dental patient education challenge.<\/p>\n
The mentality is as follows. Your child needs braces? No problem. Just shop for the orthodontist with the lowest fee, because\u2014in the minds of many\u2014the treatment is all the same and the orthodontist is programmed to work the same way again and again. Start with crooked teeth, put on braces, straighten the teeth, remove braces. Repeat with the next patient. Most people do not appreciate the diagnosis, treatment planning, and clinical skill necessary to get an excellent result in orthodontics, especially with complex cases.<\/p>\n
Price shoppers are of course not limited to orthodontic treatment but are pervasive throughout the dental marketplace, whether the treatment involves impacted wisdom teeth, dental implants, or even a single crown. When told that a crown is necessary, a patient\u2019s first question is often related to the cost of the crown, not the type of crown or the expertise of the doctor who provides it. If you told your patients that you have boxes of crowns in your supply room organized by sizes, like shoes, many would believe you and wait for you to grab one off the shelf to test the fit.<\/p>\n
The need for dental patient education to combat this perception grows every day. When the patient says, \u201cI can get it cheaper somewhere else,\u201d the message should be:<\/p>\n