How does a dentist’s own visibly poor smile undermine their credibility with patients?
Severely, in the same way that a 100-pound overweight, three-pack-a-day, fifth-of-Jack physician giving healthy-living advice undermines their own credibility. Patients evaluate the believability of professional recommendations partly through whether the professional appears to follow their own advice. A dentist selling cosmetic work, comprehensive smile design, restoration of broken-down dentition, or any aesthetic improvement creates an immediate credibility gap if their own teeth visibly compromise the message. The patient sees the doctor’s smile and forms a working hypothesis about why the doctor has not invested in their own dental health. Each possibility undermines the case: the doctor does not believe in the work, cannot afford it, has not gotten around to it, or actively doubts the value proposition. Modern cosmetic dentistry can address virtually any aesthetic compromise. The pool of capable cosmetic dentists is large enough that any colleague who wants the work done can find a qualified provider. Dentists who recognize their own smile is a credibility liability and address it deliberately remove the gap. Dentists who do not address it sell against themselves every day.
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.