Why does running over on one dental consultation taint every consultation that follows on the same day? Because stress from one consultation does not stay contained, and patients in subsequent consultations can sense it from the moment they meet the doctor. When a previous consultation runs long, the doctor walks into the next one already trying to catch up. The pace is off. The attention is divided between the patient in the room and the schedule behind. Small signals leak through: rushed transitions, abbreviated questions, less eye contact, body language that signals time pressure. The patient does not consciously diagnose what [...]

Why does running over on one dental consultation taint every consultation that follows on the same day? Because stress from one consultation does not stay contained, and patients in subsequent consultations can sense it from the moment they meet the doctor. When a previous consultation runs long, the doctor walks into the next one already trying to catch up. The pace is off. The attention is divided between the patient in the room and the schedule behind. Small signals leak through: rushed transitions, abbreviated questions, less eye contact, body language that signals time pressure. The patient does not consciously diagnose what [...]

Why does running over on one dental consultation taint every consultation that follows on the same day? Because stress from one consultation does not stay contained, and patients in subsequent consultations can sense it from the moment they meet the doctor. When a previous consultation runs long, the doctor walks into the next one already trying to catch up. The pace is off. The attention is divided between the patient in the room and the schedule behind. Small signals leak through: rushed transitions, abbreviated questions, less eye contact, body language that signals time pressure. The patient does not consciously diagnose what [...]