Does a dentist in a white coat actually raise a patient's blood pressure? It does, and the numbers are not small. The research shows systolic pressure jumping about 10 points and diastolic about 5 just because the doctor walked in wearing the coat. That is real physiology, not nerves you can talk a patient out of. So think about what that means for a high stakes case conversation. The moment you enter, the patient is already in a low grade fight or flight state, and a stressed brain does not absorb complex treatment plans or make calm financial decisions. I use [...]