Should I sit across the desk from a patient when presenting fees? No. The desk-across setup is one of the quietest case killers in dentistry. It puts a physical barrier between you and the patient and casts you as the authority delivering a verdict, which drops them straight into a child or defensive state right when you need them thinking like a calm adult. The data backs this up. Facing off across a desk lowers trust and makes the decision harder, not easier. Instead, sit beside the patient or at the corner of the table so you're both looking at the [...]