What is a patient’s dental IQ and how should I use it?
Dental IQ is just my shorthand for how much a patient already understands about how their mouth affects the rest of their life. Do they know teeth can change how they feel about themselves, that gums and teeth affect the whole body, that a smile changes how other people treat them, that disease can be serious without ever hurting? If they know all of it, the IQ is high. If they do not, it is average or low. Here is the part dentists get wrong: it does not matter which one they are, and you never tell them their score. For the high-IQ patient you reinforce that they are smart and deciding well. For everyone else you simply make those foundational facts apparent. Either way you are setting up the case report to land on what actually motivates a yes.
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.