Changing the “Meet & Treat” Mindset in Dental Treatment Planning

We dental providers face a lot of pressure—pressure from ourselves to do our job well, pressure from finances thanks to dental school debt and the costs of running a practice, and perhaps more than anything, pressure from patients to get them out of discomfort and pain right away. With so much stress coming at us from all sides, it can be easy to fall into the mindset that it’s better to “do it all at once,” no matter the situation, in order to meet patient expectations or production goals.

From my experience, this “Meet & Treat” mindset is especially prevalent in general dentists—not just when taking on cases themselves, but also when referring them out to specialists. They have the expectation that endodontists will treat their patients on the same day as their evaluation, and they communicate this assumption to their patients.

But like many things in life, a rushed approach to dental treatment planning is rarely the right way to go. Not only can it compromise care, but it also isn’t as beneficial for a practice’s production as you’d think! Plus, when it comes to referring cases out, leading your patients to believe that they’ll be treated right away can set them up for disappointment—and the specialist up for frustration.

So today, let’s talk about why I take issue with the “Meet & Treat” mindset, how flipping the script can benefit your patients, practice, and relationship with specialists, and what you can say to your patients so that they, too, see the value in giving their teeth the time and care they deserve.

A Delay in Treatment… or an Elevation in Care?

A lot of dentists believe patients should be treated right away, usually because patients tend to seek treatment due to pain or discomfort. And in the case of real dental emergencies, or when a patient has level 10 pain, that makes sense! You care about your patients and don’t want them to suffer longer than they need or expect to.

But in other cases, let’s challenge that idea for a moment: What if not treating a patient the same day as their evaluation is actually the best thing that can be done for them—and for your practice?

If your first inclination is to think I’m cuckoo crazy, I don’t blame you. How could waiting to treat patients lead to anything but dissatisfaction, unnecessary suffering, and open gaps in your schedule? But in fact, the opposite is true. When you take time to consult a patient, diagnose their pain, come up with a dental treatment plan, orient them to the procedure, and have them come back another day for treatment, you’re actually elevating their care and opening up opportunities for your practice.

Not convinced? Let’s break it down!

Benefits to Flipping the “Meet & Treat” Mindset in Dental Treatment Planning

Whether you’re taking on cases yourself or referring them out, flipping the “Meet & Treat” mindset can have an enormous positive impact on your patients, practice, and relationship with specialists. Why? Because the truth is that when you slow down and take the time to properly diagnose, orient, and treat patients—you end up with better results all around. 

Here are some of the most crucial benefits:

• More Accurate Dental Treatment Plans: Taking the time to listen to patients, review images, and come to the right diagnosis allows for a more accurate, confident treatment plan. In my experience, only 25% of patients referred to me actually need a root canal—and you’re much more likely to jump to conclusions about what your patient needs when you’re in a rush to treat them. That’s one crucial reason why, as an endodontist, I don’t treat patients on the same day as their evaluation.
• Fewer Oversights: When we rush from consult to treatment, we’re more likely to miss certain details—like extra canals, hidden pathologies, or systemic factors. Pausing gives space for our brain to catch what our eyes may have overlooked, leading to the best quality treatment possible for patients!
• More Ethical Decision Making: When we try to balance production with doing what’s right for the patient, we can run into ethical trouble. For example, suppose a patient needs valium and you don’t have any on hand, or their blood pressure is too high to receive treatment at that moment. In cases like these, it’s simply not in the patient’s best interest to do same-day treatment. Conversely, when we remove ethical dilemmas altogether by planning treatment for another day from the start, we prioritize the patient’s care over profit, which is always the better call. 
• Increased Trust: While of course patients want to get out of pain, they also want to stay out of pain. You’d be surprised how appreciative patients can be when they see their provider is taking the time to think through their dental treatment plan instead of jumping into action. It shows that their case is complex enough to deserve thoughtful consideration, and that only increases their trust.
• Greater Case Acceptance: In a similar vein, when we take time to orient our patient to the procedure and schedule for a future date, we give them time to ask questions, consider their options, and decide whether they want to proceed with treatment. Not only that, but sometimes patients aren’t financially (or mentally) ready to move forward right away, or their insurance company won’t cover same-day treatment. Therefore, scheduling treatment for another day can actually positively impact case acceptance. 
• Higher Production: Relying on same-day treatments to fill our schedule is ultimately a risky game. Not only is there no guarantee we’ll achieve our numbers, but we can also lose out on other opportunities. As counterintuitive as it may seem, scheduling out treatment gives us the best chance of filling our schedule and hitting our production goals.

Of course, it’s important to reiterate that if a patient is in a lot of pain, it’s important to do what’s necessary to help them. Not adhering to a “Meet & Treat” mindset doesn’t mean we don’t treat emergency cases as quickly as possible! In fact, I find that by avoiding “Meet & Treats” for regular cases, I can actually better treat emergency patients because I will have managed my time more effectively and can make the stretch for same day treatments if and when I need them.

But even then, good dental treatment planning doesn’t necessarily mean proceeding with a full root canal treatment all in one go. Often, it’s possible to get patients to a point where they’re comfortable and schedule a time to complete the procedure on another day. This allows you to get them out of pain while also taking advantage of many of the benefits we just talked about. (And actually, I find that in a lot of cases, patients actually prefer to do the treatment on another day, as they don’t want to have to get numbed for two separate appointments!)

All of that to say that while it’s certainly important to treat emergency cases as quickly as possible, in most cases, staying away from the  “Meet & Treat” mindset is actually the best possible strategy all around.

Approaching the Conversation with Patients

Now, you may be thinking: “Sonia, all of that is well and good, but what about the patient’s perspective? How can I make sure they understand that getting their treatment scheduled for another day is in their best interest?”

That’s a valid question, and one I’m prepared to answer!

All you have to do to help your patients see the benefit of this approach to treatment planning in dentistry is to reframe the situation in much the same way that we’ve done here. It’s all about explaining that your intention—or the intention of the specialist you’ve referred them to—is to give them the best possible standard of care.

For example, you could say:

“I want/your specialist wants to make sure your tooth gets the right treatment, not just a fast one. So we’re/they’re going to take time to evaluate everything and bring you back for treatment once I’ve/they’ve had time to review all the information and come up with the best plan for your tooth.”

Or:

No tooth or treatment is created equal, and I want/your specialist wants to make sure it’s done right. So I’ll/they’ll schedule treatment for another day so I/they don’t feel rushed and can give your case the time it deserves.

Simply talking your patient through the intention behind scheduling treatment for another day can go a long way in managing their reaction, which is not only beneficial to you but also to your specialist if you’re referring the case out. In my experience, when you speak openly and honestly and lead with kindness, most patients get the reassurance they need to accept the plan—even if that means waiting a little longer for treatment. 

Empower Yourself—and Your Patients!

Whether you’re trying to save your patients from pain, meet their expectations, or reach your production goals, the answer to treatment planning in dentistry isn’t speed. Our value as dental professionals doesn’t come from moving fast, but by being intentional, diagnostic, and grounded in excellence. Remember: We dentists aren’t just doers, we’re healers! And healing takes careful consideration, compassion, and trust developed between provider and patient. What’s more, when we show patients that we’re prioritizing their care, they feel like they matter! And that empowers them to ask questions, understand what’s going on with their teeth, and take control of their own health. 

Flipping the Meet & Treat mindset is one of several important shifts we focus on in Heal Your Practice, my vision-to-actualization course for dental providers and practice owners looking to uplevel their practice and build a career they love. Join the waitlist today and be the first to know when the course becomes available!

– Sonia