Upselling consent

For some dental professionals, much of the struggle to reconcile the delivery of healthcare with the running of the business is to do with the ‘salesmanship’ of dentistry. The word ‘selling’ and ‘advertising’ can rankle a little. But the promotion of treatments and products are increasingly a reality of modern-day health care. A sales strategy that offers opportunities for patients to learn about relevant treatments and products needn't be considered a manipulative move to maximise profits. Ethical selling, marketing and advertising are an everyday part of healthcare – in essence, it is a simple act of attempting to meet a patient's needs with specific and tailored care. Indeed, it could even be argued that, by failing to offer a patient alternative treatment options or solutions to their dental problem, the practitioner could be accused of wilful neglect.