The Practicon Viewpoint by Ann Page Griffin

JUST CALL SPIT WHAT IT IS: SPIT

Case Presentation in Layperson's Terms

A few years ago, I listened to a case being presented by a young dentist, a recent graduate associated in the practice with which I was consulting. I stood in the hall outside the operatory, out of sight of both the dentist and the patient. As the dentist began talking with the patient, I could tell from his voice, tone, volume, and pitch that he was nervous. And, when nervous, most people tend to over-talk.

In a nutshell, he over-explained, talking on and on, progressing more and more deeply into the "patient-stupor stage." He was using proper dental terminology, but it was as if he were talking to another dental professional, and was unaware that his explanation was way beyond the patient's ability to understand. The proverbial straw that broke my camel's back was his use of the term "ropey mucoid saliva" instead of "spit."

Seasoned practitioners understand that using a lot of dental jargon with many patients is tantamount to speaking a foreign language. They know that case presentations should be made using terminology the average person can comprehend and then discuss with others involved in the decision to accept or reject treatment. Too many words, with too much clinical chatter, can actually dissuade a patient's case acceptance.

In the situation described above, the senior dentist, once made aware of the associate's propensity for over-talking case presentations, offered excellent advice: "Begin a case presentation with plain-language headlines. Remember, patients want to know three things: (1) What's wrong? (2) Can you fix it? (3) How much will it cost?" He continued, "After that, if the patient asks questions or wants more information, you can go into as much detail as necessary, but still speaking in layperson's terms."

Keep this sage advice in mind the next time you make a case presentation. Be thorough as you help the patient understand his or her dental problems. Avoid the temptation to turn a patient into a pseudo-dentist who understands the term "ropey mucoid saliva" vs. "thick spit."

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