I wanted 4 more trays. He wanted out.


I had a case that still bugs me when I look at the photos.

We fixed the crowding. We got great intrusion on the lower front teeth. The before and after was a huge win.

But one tooth was off. The lower central incisor.

It bothered me. Three or four trays and it would be perfect. I could see it. I wanted it.

So I brought it up with the patient.

He looked at me and said "Doc, I really don't want to wear more trays. Are we good?"

Here's where most of us mess up. We push. We say "trust me, it's only a few more weeks." Because the perfectionist in us can't let it go.

Instead I asked him one question.

"If I give you more trays, will you actually wear them?"

He said "honestly, no."

So we wrapped it up. Retainers that day. He's been happy ever since.

Here's the lesson. He came in to fix his crowding. We fixed his crowding. That one tooth was my problem, not his.

When you start a case, write down the chief complaint. Solve it and you're done. Everything on top of that is gravy.

Chase perfection without asking the patient and you end up in refinement number six with someone who stopped caring a year ago.

Your patients don't want perfect. They want their problem solved and the trays out of their life.

Know the difference.


New episode this week:

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See you next week,

Avi

P.S. This is the stuff we work through inside Aligner Blueprint. Not just how to move teeth. How to finish cases with happy patients. Enrollment is open now.


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