Perio? Why Don’t I Just Get a Regular Teeth Cleaning?

Tips for Communicating the Need for Periodontal Therapy/Scaling and Root Planning in a Patient-Friendly Way

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 One of the most common issues that I hear come up from other dentists is that the dentist complains the patient “wants a regular cleaning” when they have periodontal disease.  The dentist then struggles to communicate to the patient the need for periodontal therapy to treat their active periodontal disease.  In some scenarios, this ends with the patient leaving a bad online review and/or complaining that the dentist tried to “up-sell” them on a “deep cleaning.”

The fundamental cause of this problem is simply a breakdown in communication.  In this video above, I share some of the simple commuication strategies I use to easily describe periodontal disease to patients. I utilize metaphors and relatable vocabulary to get the point across.

Watch the video above to hear my strategies for communication on this topic. I find that when using the methods above, there is seldom a time when a patient declines SCRP (when needed), and I virtually NEVER encounter the follow-up question of, “So aren’t you going to clean my teeth today?”

Let’s all get a little bit better, every day!