Risky business: Steps to manage risk in your practice

Protecting your practice from risky patients is like putting on your seat belt in the car, according to Dr. Ruchi Sahota and attorney Arthur Curley. The two presenters will speak about how to manage risk on May 15 and 16 at the California Dental Association's CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry virtual convention.

Their courses focus on warning signs of high-risk patients and steps dentists can take to mitigate risk. Sahota and Curley shared some of that advice in a video interview with DrBicuspid.com.

"You have to look at risk like other businesses look at it," said Curley, a senior trial attorney at a healthcare defense firm and assistant professor at the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. "There's always a potential risk out there."

Some of the red flags to watch out for are a patient's body language and a story that changes over time, cautioned Sahota, a general dentist in Fremont, CA. It's also important to note if a patient has gone to several dentists before sitting in your chair, Curley added.

"You're not seeing that this is a person who is difficult to satisfy and may have unrealistic goals," Curley said. "They don't really want new crowns. They want to be 20 years younger, and you cannot deage somebody with a drill."

Learn more patient red flags and practical steps to help mitigate risk in the video below.