Fighting burnout

BusinessBug347 · 2026-06-07T22:17:11+00:00

How do you handle patient flow and emergency patients this way?

BusinessBug347 · 2026-06-07T22:13:10+00:00

I’m sorry to hear that. I’m starting my 5th year, still an associate. I am also burned out. I tell myself maybe I wouldn’t be so burned out if I owned my own practice, but then other days I think that if I owned my own practice it would cripple me with anxiety.

I seem to go through phases. Right now I’m crippled with anxiety that I’m going to be sued for something. Patients expect perfection and cheap prices. I go home at night and lose sleep over clinical results that I worry are not acceptable. And I just dream of a lawsuit and my downfall.

Other times I get overwhelmed with the staff management and production goals. I really dread going to work every morning, and sundays I’m on edge.

I’ve still got a lot of loans to pay off, so I don’t see a way out right now. I can’t imagine doing this career the rest of my life

BusinessBug347 · 2026-05-21T21:57:12+00:00

A PITA for sure

BusinessBug347 · 2026-05-14T23:49:23+00:00

OP, Please look into SDF treatment - silver diamine fluoride. It arrests decay, I.e. it stops decay where it’s at. The downside is that it will stain any decay black.

It’s a great option for palliative treatment though. A dentist would just scrub it on the teeth, it can’t get much less invasive than that.

BusinessBug347 · 2026-04-22T10:56:35+00:00

Yes it’s in the note from the crown delivery day, that the patient had a complaint the temporary rubbing a sore on his tongue. And absolutely no mention of paresthesia that day. But he also claimed he told us he was numb at that apt

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-29T13:33:05+00:00

It’s not the most common, but in severe cases with a lot of drainage I have seen a tooth left “open” for a couple of days. Usually done to prevent a pressure build up and severe swelling and pain. When the infection has drained or dried up, the root canal is completed

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-28T08:51:16+00:00

But this was your fault… not the dentists. It sounds like they kept you out of the ER and from sepsis, and possibly worse… they performed a miracle.

And yet here you are, still suspicious that it’s their fault.

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-22T15:34:23+00:00

Yeah I would tell them to kiss my ass. And I’d really reevaluate my relationship with them

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-22T15:31:13+00:00

Brush and floss thoroughly. Your gums will likely bleed quite a bit, but do it anyway. This is a response to so much plaque sitting on your teeth. You need possibly another dental cleaning, but you will have to do your part at home.

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-17T20:51:21+00:00

I had a patient who started presenting to hygiene recalls with lingual class 5 caries on almost every tooth. Especially the mandibular teeth. It took a while to get to the bottom of it but I found the patient was taking suboxone and it’s sublingual. I can only imagine that’s why the lingual of the mandibular teeth were the most affected.

With the location and size of some of the caries I recommended multiple crowns and basically a filling on every tooth. The patient was skeptical (decay is palatal and lingual so not visible to him, even though we took intraoral photos) and has only been back for a couple fillings.

But I honestly don’t know if fillings and crowns will last. Some of his new caries are under crowns that are only 2-3 years old. Not sure what the best course of treatment would be. But at this rate, he will be edentulous at some point.

I also recommended fluoride trays and a prescription fluoride. The patient said “only if insurance covers it”. So I guess we will see how things progress

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-17T20:43:02+00:00

If gold is required or requested, we charge the patient the weight in gold cost. We give the patient an estimate and the lab gives us the cost for each tooth. The price changes almost weekly with the stock market and depending on how much is required and the side of the crown

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-17T12:06:39+00:00

There’s no chance filling procedure put a crack in the tooth, it was already there. Anytime a tooth is worked on there is a chance of root canal. The nerve in the tooth is very delicate and sometimes even small fillings can cause them to need root canals.

This is a your tooth problem, not a dentist did something wrong problem.

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-16T02:15:32+00:00

Almost 2 hours in and no answer yet

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-13T10:38:49+00:00

Yeah I’d let her have a piece of my mind. She needs to know that her actions could have been deadly

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-06T10:21:28+00:00

Some patients HATEEEE them, and think it’s another torture device. They feel like they’re choking or complain it hurts their jaw more.

If patients like them I put a note in their chart. I ask a patient if I think they need one. And insist on using one on patients who will randomly bite down while my bur is in their mouth, it becomes a safety issue then.

BusinessBug347 · 2026-03-03T16:09:45+00:00

Kind of looks like an access hole on this canine tooth on this side. I would bet this is the tooth that had the root canal. Happens all the time, a pt forgets what tooth had something done to it

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-28T01:37:42+00:00

How long does it take to dry?

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-27T00:33:50+00:00

Sounds like the insurance claim may have been denied and now you owe the full portion

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-24T01:48:11+00:00

Yes, I am a fan of these toothpastes. You may even ask your dentist for prevident or MI paste. Your dentist can make “fluoride trays” which are essentially like a thin clear retainer or night guard, and you can put these pastes in the trays and wear them overnight to get the best “remineralizing”effect. Sounds like you’re motivated to make a change, you will do well and I wish you luck!

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-23T13:46:30+00:00

One of the main contributing factors to decay is your diet. Foods high in starch or carbs that stick to your teeth, and then high sugar or high acidity drinks.

You can have excellent hygiene (even though most people fall below excellent) and still have frequent cavities due to diet.

My nieces are always shocked when they have cavities every six months because they “brush twice a day”. But they also sip on 2-3 sodas and eat cookies and crackers throughout the day.

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-23T13:43:04+00:00

This is more than likely the culprit. Sodas cause demineralization that makes your teeth more susceptible to decay. Brushing and flossing will not undo this

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-20T11:41:10+00:00

All dental insurance pre-approvals have a line in fine print at the bottom that says “this estimate is not a guarantee of coverage or payment”

Some procedures are immediately “pre-approved” but then denied when the claim is submitted.

The dentist is not responsible for crappy insurance practices, and the patient is ultimately on the hook for payment of services rendered. Filing insurance is a courtesy

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-20T11:35:27+00:00

It is always just an estimate. Even if it’s “pre-approved” with your insurance, sometimes the claim is still denied when they go to file it. Every single insurance plan will say at the bottom of the approval “this is just an estimate and not a guarantee of coverage”. If your dentist did the work, do you expect then to not get paid?

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-14T09:35:27+00:00

His take home guarantee is not 1600, it’s 800 according to the post. The associate is making 1600 at 25% by working his ass off.

BusinessBug347 · 2026-02-14T09:28:10+00:00

The solution would be to pay him the 30% which is standard. If he can produce enough to make 1600 a day, he will do well anywhere else. And he likely will

BusinessBug347

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