Dental Diaries: End of the year rush?

2012 was an interesting year. We definitely experienced schedule fluctuations and modified our thinking of a "normal" day.

Speaking with many fellow clinicians, they, too, said they had a slow year. Times that we expected to be busier remained quiet. Hygienists said they had holes in their schedules that had never been there before and were not working as many days as they had in the past.

With Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve both landing on a Monday, we lost two working days this year. Nevertheless, with the end of the year and the need to empty out flexible spending accounts and remainder dental benefit balances, we did see an influx of patients. Not as deep and as wide as in years past, but patients still needed our care. In fact, we managed to fill the final Saturday with patients who needed to get in under the wire. One mom even said, "We will be there with bells on."

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS.

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS.

Last week we received an interesting after-hours phone call from a patient we thought was long lost. He called to schedule a teeth cleaning and "anything else that is necessary to be done" before the end of the year. Luckily, we had some time to see him at the end of our day the Saturday before Christmas. Turns out he had not seen another dentist during the time of his hiatus from our office. We treated him that Saturday and ended up scheduling some minor restorative work for him the following Saturday, our last working day of the year.

Another patient called complaining of a toothache he'd had for months. When he finally came in, we had to temporize him for the endodontist. Part of our mission is to teach our patients that oral healthcare cannot wait. Had this patient had the funds to listen months ago, he may not have been in this situation.

It is good to be wanted. It is good to be busy. I am very hopeful for 2013 and better economic numbers. The patient who had been putting off dental care for almost two years did return. I believe this is a sign of things to come. Patients who have been waiting can wait no longer.

In fact, I think 2013 will be a great year. We will do what we love to do: dentistry. We will see people who want our care, and we will advocate for oral health. And if a few more patients want to come our way, we will gladly accept them into our practices. What a great way to start my 30th year in dentistry.

A happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous new year to everyone!

Sheri B. Doniger, DDS, practices clinical dentistry in Lincolnwood, IL. She has served as an educator in several dental and dental hygiene programs, has been a consultant for a major dental benefits company, and has written for several dental publications. Most recently, she was the editor of Woman Dentist Journal and Woman Dentist eJournal. You can reach her at [email protected].

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