Why isn’t decision-making science taught in dental school?
Because it is not our discipline, plain and simple. There is a rich body of behavioral research built up over the last fifty years sitting in business and academic texts, and almost none of it shows up in our dental journals. That does not make it wrong or unimportant. It is extremely important, it just lives off to the side, off the radar of most of our colleagues. So it is on you to go get it. Either study how people actually make decisions and apply it yourself, or find someone who can show you how. This is not about manipulation. When you understand decision-making, you can influence patients toward the choice that is genuinely good for them, and they walk out with better health and more satisfaction. Refusing to learn it because it was not in your curriculum is not principled. It just leaves your patients making worse choices.
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.