Page 8 www.TheTownCommon.com Dec 25 - Dec 31, 2019
Dec 25 - Dec 31, 2019 www.TheTownCommon.com Page 9Health & WellnessBY J. PETER ST. CLAIR, DMDLast week I discussed theimportance of communication in anyrelationship, specifically the healthcareprovider/patient relationship. Trustis mutually built as this relationshipdevelops over time.“There’s not enough time in theday.” Have you ever used this excuse? Isaid this yesterday to someone. We alltend to waste a lot of time, or at leastdon’t use the time we have as effectivelyas we could. You would think that inour technology-filled world, timemanagement would be easier. Someof this technology actually gets in theway by adding even more of a timecommitment to things that reduceinterpersonal communication.Here’s an example. It’s time to buya new car. There are many differentcar brands and within those brandsare many models. No matter whatdealership you go to, they will gathera minute amount of informationabout you, or maybe none at all, butguaranteed, they have a car on theirshowroom floor that they tell you isBrighter Smiles...PROVIDER RELATIONSHIPS – PART 2the right car for you. They will spenda countless amount of time talkingabout the many new features that theirbrand has, and the options betweendifferent models. If the salesmanworked for a different brand, or if youwent to a different dealership, youwould hear the same reasons why thatbrand is right for you. Their goal is tosell you a car.If you went into a dental office andthe dentist spent all their time talkingabout their array of technologicalgadgets and how they were right foryou, how would you feel? If you wentto a different office and that dentisthad a different set of gadgets, theyhave a bias as to why theirs are rightfor you. You would feel like you weretrying to be “sold” something.Branding draws us in. You mayhave a preconceived notion that aparticular make of car is what you“need”, or see a dental advertisementthat attracts your attention.It doesn’t take much to realize thatthere are many different brands ofanything that would satisfy our needs.Whether it is a car or teeth, thereare often gaps between the “seller” andthe “buyer”. There is a gap betweenwhat we really need and what wethink we need. There is another gapbetween what the dentist or salesmanthinks we need and what we think weneed. And, more specifically, there isoften a serious gap between the valuesome dentists have, and the value theyfeel they can discuss with patients.Sometimes we feel we don’t have thetime to discuss these things, and othertimes we are afraid we will scare youaway.Dentistry offers people so muchthat they want and need. Why don’tpeople get it? What would permitsomeone to have this resourceavailable, and fail to use it? Whatwould cause them to misunderstand itso thoroughly that they fear it morethan they fear the consequences of notcollaborating with a dentist?Dentists need to communicatefacts and truths. They need toconvey expertise and enthusiasm.This goes back to the idea of time Ihave mentioned so often in the past.Dentists need to spend time withpatients, not hard-sell with littleinformation, and let the patientdecide what the best line of treatmentis for them.Dr. St. Clair maintains a privatedental practice in Rowley andNewburyport dedicated to healthcenteredfamily dentistry. If there arecertain topics you would like to seewritten about or questions you haveplease email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com. You can view allpreviously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com/blog.Dr. Laura anne Potvin, P.C.oPtoMetriStSEYE CAREFOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!Dr. DR. nYLa NYLA LAMBERT LaMBertDr. DR. KatHLeen SAMANTHA Horn MEINDr. DR. CATHLEEN CatHLeen DOUCETTE DouCetteNOw LOCATED AT939 SALEM ST., GROvELAND978-374-8991What does yoursmile say about you?Whether you are missing teeth or are unhappy with theones you have, it may be time to explore your options.All Phases of Dental Care Including:• Grinding/Clenching/TMJ Therapy• Sleep Apnea/Snoring TreatmentContact your advertisingLearn More: www.stclairdmd.com consultant today....Please call our office to schedulea comlimentary 30-minute consultation.77 Wethersfield Street, Rowley, MA 01969advertise@thetowncommon.com151 Central Street, Rowley | 978-948-2030978-948-8696Don't miss what's important to YOU!Sign up for your weekly e-mail service atw w w. t h e t o w n c o m m o n . c o m
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