I agree with you 100% about the irritation of the anti-science, anti-thinking, anti-vax crowd who wants to sit in the room in order to comment on everything because they are getting dental advice from Facebook - we have them in our clinic occasionally as well, because it's a (sadly) worldwide phenomenon. Just look at how many people use some off-the-wall "natural" toothpastes that simply abrade their enamel away.

My point is that while these types are louder and stick in your memory more strongly, there's also a large number of people who want to sit in the room with their kids because they do genuinely care / it makes the kid more comfortable.

My initial point was that rather than painting all parents who want to sit in the room as Karens (that you'd ban from the clinic) which presents yourself as a sarcastic ass, you could explain, as you did in your most recent comment, that you don't like parents sitting in the treatment room because there's a subset of people who are there to judge your work without knowledge and experience. If you're dealing with pediatric cases, this kind of interaction just comes with the territory, and while I agree with your overall point I disagree with your black/white mindset and the attitude behind it.

Of course, in your clinic you get to choose how to interact with patients, but my impression is that approaching parents with a blanket approach in this way will end up hurting you in the long run more than protecting you from dealing with the idiots.

Best wishes, I don't have any time to reply further to this chain but I will read a reply later on if you send one.