By: Kevin Muench DMD, MAGD
Time can work against you, or it can work for you if phased therapy is the proposed treatment.
Though it seems simpler than a full mouth reconstruction, single tooth dentistry can take years to achieve the desired outcome. For this reason, we must bolster our communication and relationship skills.
So, what can keep you and your patient on the right track over the long haul?
Benefits of Phased Therapy
If you want to help more people, phased therapy is a great way to do it.
You can make dental treatment possible in tighter budgets by spacing the work out over time. You don’t have to devalue yourself, but you do have to strengthen your patience and your commitment to outcomes.
Build Confidence With Manageable Cases
Especially at the start of your career, the amount of information in the dental world can be completely overwhelming. You may be inspired to take on complicated cases before you are ready, but truly, there is so much value in taking things slow.
Single tooth dentistry may seem easy or less impressive than more involved restorations, but it has the ability to keep your workload manageable while giving you room for growth.
It is easy to neglect social skills like patient communication and team development while you search for the bigger and greater case. Instead, you can spend time focusing on providing quality care and really devoting yourself to layered learning.
Create Trust With Every Patient Encounter
Trust is the missing ingredient in many situations where you pitch a complex and involved treatment plan to a new patient.
Though it may seem like an obvious ‘yes’ to you, to them it may be handing over something precious to someone untested.
When you start with a simple and affordable single tooth case, you give patients time to get to know you, respect your work, and experience the results for themselves.
Your patience will pay off many times over as patients come to trust you enough to continue with bigger cases in the future. While you build these relationships in your practice, you may not even notice the overall shift from ‘no’ to ‘yes.’
Kevin Muench DMD, MAGD
Dr. Muench started his private practice in February, 1988. Graduated from Boston College in 1980 with a B.S. Degree in Biology. In 1987, he graduated from New Jersey Dental School with honors and was elected into the Dental Honors Society, OKU. He received the Quintessence Operative Dentistry Award and the Dentsply Fixed Prosthodontics Award. In 1993, he received a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry and in 2002 received a Masters in the Academy. He has completed greater than 1500 hours of continuing education since Dental School. He is an alumnus, visiting faculty, and an Advisory Board member of one of the most significant continuing education groups, The Pankey Institute. Kevin resides in his family home in Maplewood where he was born and raised. Kevin and his wife Eileen have three boys; Colin, Tommy, and Michael. They strongly believe that participation in community efforts are what make the difference in Maplewood NJ.
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