So what’s new? Kangaroo T shirts have gotten a bunch of outspoken fellows into trouble, stocks are still tumbling, Hong Kong’s financial regulators announced that they would guarantee all deposits for the next two years, using the territory’s foreign reserves as collateral, and our Finance Minister has once again said things that will leave many thinking Singaporeans scratching their heads. “From the point of view of our system, it (guarantee for bank deposits) is not necessary because there is no lack of confidence in our system.”
Once in a while, I would get patients who want me to guarantee that their crown/bridge/implant will last x number of years. From a professional point of view, it is impossible to guarantee these services because there are so many biological variables involved. One patient may chew harder than another. One patient may brush harder than another. Another patient may love coffee, tea or wine. From an ethical point of view, it’s not honest or realistic for the dentist to guarantee. Some cases will fail and we all know it. But unlike ministers, we can’t declare that there is no lack of confidence in our services, “hence”, we can’t guarantee.
From a business point of view, however, it’s actually not too difficult to give such guarantees. The majority of cases will last x number of years. Even if the dentist has to redo some of those which don’t last x number of years for free, he is unlikely to suffer any losses as long as he has charged enough at the beginning. It sure is no fun having to redo a case that you’ve guaranteed but failed, but if it’s only 1% and if the guarantee boosts confidence and increases the absolute volume of your 99%, why not?
The same goes with well-known brands of electrical equipment. Even though consumers trust their products, brands like HP, Panasonic, Sony all guarantee their products. They are not worried about having to repair or even replace their products for free. Consumers know that the company will be able to afford it if their failure rate is low. With this knowledge comes confidence.
If any brand dares to stand out and say that there is no lack of confidence in their brand so they are not guranteeing it, then any discerning consumer will see the “logic” and quickly lose confidence in that brand. Why don’t you dare to guarantee if you are so sure that your system won’t fail? Nobody is going to cause me any anxiety by sticking his head out to guarantee my bank deposits. On the contrary, it’s reassuring to know that our “budget surplus” and massive “reserves” are not just things to boast about.
Last few tooth whitening kits going out soon. Come down for impression taking and have your customised tooth whitening kit ready for collection in just 1 hour.
Upper teeth always overlap the lower
In any beautiful smile, the upper front teeth always dominate.
Never ask for an edge to edge bite when you can have a Class 1 bite.
Always show more teeth on top.
Are your teeth big enough? Very often patients request for teeth that aren't big enough. Here's more proof that you don't look good with tiny teeth.
Location: Taiwan
There was this 5-star hotel that wa paying a certain pest control company a lot of money for The new CFO at the hotel was naturally embarrassed. He signed a contract with the old pest control company at twice the value of the original quotation. Not everyone is capable of feeling the kind of embarrassment that the CFO of that hotel must have felt. Alamak people for instance.
Way back in Hougang a couple of years ago, I advised this guy to do a bridge. He disappeared, came back with another problem and the bridge that I advised him to do was already done - somewhere else. Then, a few days back, he called up my clinic at Lucky Plaza and angrily complained to my recep over the phone that the bridge I did for him had fallen off.
Bridge? Wasn’t that the one done somewhere else? I highlighted that fact to him when he turned up with the bridge in his hand. Seeing that his trick had been foiled, he asked me to do something about the failed bridge. Seeing that the stumps were already fractured, I told him that the only way to fix it was to rebuild the stumps and redo the bridge. I gave him a quote and the knee jerk response was “so expensive!”
He requested for a recementation. I warned him that it will not last. He would have to get a new bridge done. He asked for a discount. But why would he deserve a discount for a bridge he didn’t let me do? He declared himself as a loyal patient. How thick can a man’s skin get? And that’s not all.
Sure enough, his recemented bridge came off after a few days. Once again, I urged him to get the new bridge done. He agreed. I recemented his bridge again and took impressions for his new bridge. He then walked off without paying any deposit. I’m quite sure it will fall off again. If it didn’t, there’s no way this loyal patient will come back.
How thick is your skin???
This gentleman is an expat exploring Orchard Road when he found our clinic. He presented with receding gums and a post crown that was not in a very good position.We soon discovered that his post crown had no post. So we removed the crown, gave him a post, prepared the margin all the way to the gums. He opted for a PFM .
The dentist’s skill.This is a lot more difficult to assess. Judging a dentist by his formal training is a bit like walking into a food centre and choosing a stall where the hawker had formal training in cooking char kway teow or beef noodles. One does not need much formal training to be good at implants or dentures. Some Division 2 (non-graduate) dentists (with little formal training) who run their own laboratories can make dentures which are superior to those done by graduate dentists. It does not mean that the more courses a dentist has attended, the better his skills will be.
Sometimes, even formal training does not equip one with the skills needed to deal with clinical situations. Someone who has successfully placed 500 implants in clinical practice is quite undoubtedly more skillful than a new graduate from a 2-year, highly structured and academic formal training course. The latter will have a piece of certification. The former will not.
If I need an extraction, the most reliable place to get information is the neighbourhood coffeeshop. Ask the folks there who is good at extractions. The majority can’t be wrong. If I need dentures, I’d go to a Division 2 clinic with its own inhouse lab. If I want implants, I don’t just go to any oral surgeon but someone who is not always keen on implants.
There are quite a number of articles out there which teach people how to choose a dentist. Like the numerous self-help books out there that teach people how to get rich, the real help that any reader can get from these articles is usually quite limited. What are some of the things they say you should look out for?
Experience of the dentist.
This can be easy or difficult. The practice could have been around for a ages, but the aging dentist may employ a locum who is as green as bile. An established practice can also be sold to other dentists new to the profession. Skill may come with experience, but skill should not be the only thing you’re after.
A dentist who has just invested heavily in an expensive implant package may find it easier to justify the risks. A dentist who has just bought a 2M property may be very keen on treating you “holistically” by doing a full mouth reconstruction. If I were a patient, I would look for a humble, friendly but not too friendly dentist without too many expensive tastes and financial commitment.
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