DentaltownUK April 2017 - 40

top my gums from bleeding?

How to stop my gums fro

if you have a cavity?
The Google expert is a relatively new phenomenon, dating back
fewer than 10 years. You've undoubtedly run into a few-or more
than a few-Google dental experts.
Dealing with know-it-all, know-nothing patients can be a challenge
for any health professional. My dad, Dr. Ronald Receveur, is a dentist
in the greater Louisville, Kentucky, area, and I spent a lot of time in
his practice while I was growing up. Even then, the practice had its
share of dentist wannabes.
Dad had the patience of a saint ... usually. There were some
patients, though, who sorely tested both his patience and his temper.
And that was before the mass of misinformation on the internet was
widely available.
With ever-more people finding inaccurate information on the
web, "truth decay" has become a major pain for dentists to deal with.
From my experiences watching Dad deal with dental know-it-alls,
and from working extensively with hundreds of dentists, I've come
up with a few "truth decay" types.

do I whiten my teeth?
Listen to Colin Receveur
discuss how dentists can
attract more patients
Visit dentaltown.com/podcasts, click the
magnifying glass to search, and type in
"Patient Attraction Podcast 963."

Why is my t

Well-meaning but wrong

These people usually have a friend who had "exactly" the same
dental issue, and have done some online research to verify that, yep,
that's exactly what they have, as well. Of course, nobody's done a
comparison of their X-rays or scans, much less an actual clinical
exam. It's easy to explain to this patient why their case is different.

xtract my own tooth?

The bias-confirmer
They've heard about a treatment, and they've decided that it's for
them, period. These types will often research articles online until they
find one that confirms their bias. They'll often bring a copy of the
article with them to their appointment. It usually turns out to be from
2002, and they've ignored all the studies since then that contradict
their prized study. These bias-confirmers will back down, with some
embarrassment, when you discuss later findings. However, the hardcore
ones won't take no for an answer, and they'll doctor-shop until they
find a dentist willing to give them what they want.

When should I get my wisdom te
The arrogant type
Maybe they flunked out of dental school or couldn't get a scholarship.
Or they need therapy. Regardless, the arrogant types are probably the
hardest of the Google experts to deal with. They'll challenge you on
everything from diagnosis to scan interpretation to treatment plan
to cost. Some have a mishmash of information and make illogical
arguments to support their positions.
You're pretty much wasting your time with these patients. The
only way you win is to refer them to someone you don't like. You may
have run into some Google experts who don't fit into these categories,
so feel free to create your own.

w do I extract my own tooth?

ooth fell out, can I glue it back in?

40

APRIL 2017 // dentaltownuk.com

What does a cavity feel like
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DentaltownUK April 2017
