We share a common occupation, and it's always been my assumption that when someone says, "I hate going to the dentist" one of the things they are really saying is, "please don't hurt me (like someone else has)". As we both know, sometimes it's really easy not to hurt them, and sometimes it's really, really,really hard not to hurt them. I think this aspect of dentistry is still my biggest daily challenge. This, and the fact that even if our fees are reasonable, what we do is often a financial hardship for a sizable percentage of the population brings more tension to my day than anything else. Certainly there is a special place in hell for people who only do health care "for the money".We both know who you are.

Keep those margins tight, and enjoy the fact that we get a chance to change those negative perceptions, one patient at a time.