I would agree with your gut feeling, as I have heard that to be the case. Even here if you compare a heavily insurance-based practice to a completely fee-for-service practice, we have the same experience. There is a common sentiment that when patients have to pay for something, they value it and YOU more. I’ve even seen that across other health care fields. I guess it’s human nature!

Andrew, that’s a great point. Must be more commonly thought here in the US. I love getting the perspective from other countries because while a lot of what we do is universal, there are definitely some cultural and legal differences. I wonder how the regulations of the NHS have influenced the cultural belief systems there. It must in some way!

Denstpeed, thanks! That’s another perfect example. I wonder if he has ever had to evaluate his own role in his practice or in dentistry. If not, he probably has the same CRAP attitude (Can you see I sticking with a theme here?) 😉 It’s humbling what some time practicing in the real world will do to help us shift our ideas and beliefs.

Great to hear from you, and btw, if you ever want to share your story in an interview, let me know!!

Very nice article! It’s so interesting how after years in dentistry, our perceptions change. I worked for the Indian Health Service for three years after graduation. I heard that one of my classmates called me a “blue collar dentist.”
He was the typical son of a dentist who had a ready made practice for him. Typical attitude from the typical dentist who thinks his poop doesn’t stink.