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January 22, 2013 -- In my professional experience, the most frustrating thing for dental professionals has always been patient compliance -- or should I say noncompliance. As dental professionals, we often look at noncompliance as a lack of concern or accountability by our patients. After all, one would think that people would want to take responsibility for their personal actions and have a genuine interest in their oral health, right? Amazingly, I've learned that this is not always the case.
I have spent a decade in the clinician's chair confused, frustrated, and overall disappointed at the lack of concern some patients seem to have for their own oral health. What makes the compliant patient different from the noncompliant patient? I graduated from dental hygiene school in 2004, ready to help the world with a very powerful message and prevention motto: Only brush and floss the teeth you wish to keep ... because there truly is no replacement.
Since then, I have learned many things, including the fact that (shockingly!) not everyone values teeth the way I do. This has raised several questions in my mind. Is their lack of concern a failure on my part? Am I a bad teacher? Is my patient a bad student? I don't believe any of these is the reason. The bottom line is that people respond to things they feel are important, and if a patient does not feel that his or her oral hygiene is important, it will be difficult to motivate change.
Let's reflect on the term "compliance." By definition, the word means "the act of conforming, acquiescing, or yielding, (2) a tendency to yield readily to others, especially in a weak and subservient way, (3) conformity; accordance: in compliance with orders, (4) cooperation or obedience."
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