What should the patient-expectations section of a dental Case Report cover?
The practice’s policies and expectations regarding patient behavior during treatment, written clearly and reusable across cases. Appointment-keeping expectations. Punctuality. Required communications. Payment timing. Behavior during appointments. Any other policies that govern how the practice runs and what the patient needs to do to be a good participant in the treatment relationship. The section serves as documented guardrails. Without it, patients drift into behaviors that disrupt the schedule, complicate the work, and produce friction between practice and patient. With it, the practice has a written reference to point to when an expectation is missed. “Per the patient expectations section you reviewed and signed, appointments must be confirmed twenty-four hours in advance, and missed confirmations result in this consequence.” The section can largely be copied from one Case Report to the next, with minor customizations for case-specific factors. The investment is small. The downstream prevention of treatment-phase headaches is substantial. Set expectations before treatment starts, not after problems emerge.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.