Managing dental patients who get downright mad about treatment charges

A new walk-in …yay! What an amazing start to the week. You complete the consultation, talk about the time the treatment will take and move on to the payment of the treatment. Suddenly this polite patient turns into satan’s apprentice and starts screaming at the top of his voice asking for reasons why your treatment charges are so “high”.

We spoke to a few dentists and found that these situations are encountered by most of the dental practitioners. One of the few reasons that we found why this kind of behavior was faced by more dental practitioners than medical practitioners.

Dentistry was always treated as the stepchild of medicine, in India for ages barbers, blacksmiths and cobblers were the people who used to perform the dental treatment. Whereas for medicinal purposes patients used to visit the local “Vaidya” or “Rishi” who were the people who knew medical plants and treatment. However, dentistry always got the short end of the stick or the respect, which they deserve.

Now that dentistry has evolved over time, the mentality of the patient hasn’t. They still think it’s a 10 Rs job. They do not understand the hard work, the talent and the artistic hand which is required to give a patient that beautiful smile, nor do they understand that finishing a painless extraction or completing Root canal treatment in minimum time took years of practice.

Come to think of it, we live in a society where patients don’t fail to beat, fight and bargain over treatment charges or treatment results. The government hasn’t included dental treatment in insurance, it is considered esthetic, whereas there are numerous cases recorded which show that a dental abscess can lead to brain infection, periodontal infections can lead to cardiac diseases so on and so forth.

Here are a few scenarios and ways to handle them when your patients take on to the wrong track and start screaming holy murder.

Allegation №1: You overcharge


Do not feel guilty for providing the best treatment and using world-class instruments and dental materials. Accept the fact that your charges might be higher, but confidently tell them why is it so? How using world-class instruments and materials affect the overall dental health and treatment of patients, how your so-called “expensive” treatment includes patients’ comfort and makes the chair time less painful. If they understand good if they decide to leave even better. Why do you ask? With every visit, they will waste your time bargaining or having the same conversation over and over wherein you can treat a patient or at least start with the procedure.

Allegation No 2: I get discounts everywhere but here!

Why should you give discounts and why should you entertain bargaining? Did any of your patients help you pay your college fees, stay up with you when you burnt the midnight oil or did they stand with you when you were finishing your “quota”: in college. No. Never. Then why do you feel obligated to bargain or avoid taking consultation fees. It’s your right. Period. Every time you deliver a discount or give into bargaining be sure of the fact that you are gonna get more patients of the same sort. Put your foot down firmly say no.

Allegation №3: The other dentist is charging less.

Tell your patient that you are not aware of the charges in the surrounding region. But you know why you are charging. Be it your sterilization protocol which as you know costs a fortune or the dental materials which if are not China made will create a dent in your pockets and topmost comes to your skill.


Ever feel proud when a patient comes back and tells you that this “filling” that you did is still as good as new or a root canal treatment was the most painless one that he has underwent. This skill of yours took years out of your life. Do not let anyone make you feel any less. Sit eye-to eye-with the patient and ask them if they believe that your charges are the only thing that should matter?

If a patient gets angry, I would suggest the staff person look concerned and surprised. They should then ask the patient to help them understand why only this part of the consultation is upsetting to him or her.

Acknowledge that their apprehensions may be genuine or they are substantially underprivileged. Be firm but polite. This will build the patient relationship and bring value to the information they provide.

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