The Wisdom of Courtesy in Dentistry
- Sarah Beth Herman
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
By Sarah Beth Herman, CEO of Dentistry Support®
In dentistry, people often think success comes from high-tech equipment, advanced procedures, or marketing strategies. While those matter, the true foundation of a thriving dental office is wisdom, and that wisdom often shows up in one overlooked skill: courtesy. Courtesy impacts how insurance claims are written, how eligibility is verified, how patients experience their visits, and even how dental teams work together.
This training is designed to give you practical steps you can use right now in your practice. On Monday at 5 AM PST, a new episode of No Silver Spoons will build on these lessons, showing how courtesy and culture transform not only dentistry but leadership as a whole. For today, let us focus on dentistry and the wisdom you can put into action immediately.
Courtesy in Patient Experience
Patients may not know what CDT codes mean or how complicated insurance rules can be, but they always notice how they are treated. Courtesy starts with small details:
Greeting every patient by name.
Taking a moment to explain costs before treatment.
Following up after procedures with a short call or text.
These actions seem simple, yet they define whether a patient stays loyal or looks elsewhere. A study in the Journal of Dental Practice Administration found that patients who felt respected and cared for were three times more likely to accept treatment plans compared to those who felt rushed or dismissed (Journal of Dental Practice Administration, 2017).
Courtesy is wisdom because it keeps patients connected to your practice long after their appointment ends.
Courtesy in Dental Insurance Eligibility Verification
One of the most frustrating experiences for patients is discovering that a procedure they thought was covered is not. This often comes down to poor insurance verification. Courtesy in this process means respecting the patient’s time, finances, and trust by being thorough before care begins.
Practical steps to apply courtesy in eligibility verification include:
Verify benefits before the appointment. Never wait until the patient is in the chair.
Provide a written breakdown. Patients appreciate clear documentation of what is covered, what is not, and what the out-of-pocket estimate will be.
Explain coverage in plain language. Courtesy means not hiding behind jargon. For example, “Your plan covers 80 percent of a filling” is better than quoting codes that patients do not understand.
A dental insurance eligibility verification company can streamline this process. By outsourcing, your office ensures accuracy and saves hours of front-desk stress. Even when outsourced, results should still be presented with courtesy, compassion, and clarity.
Courtesy in Dental Billing Narratives
Insurance companies rely heavily on narratives to approve or deny claims. A narrative that is rushed or unclear not only delays payment but also signals a lack of professionalism. Courtesy in billing means respecting both the patient and the insurance reviewer by writing clear, accurate, and detailed narratives.
Best practices include:
Always explain why treatment was necessary, not just what was done.
Use objective clinical terms that show evidence of the condition.
Avoid vague phrases. Instead of writing “tooth broke,” write “Fracture on tooth #14 with caries undermining restoration; crown recommended for function and longevity.”
According to the American Dental Association (2022), claims with strong, detailed narratives are significantly more likely to be approved on the first submission. Courtesy in billing is not about politeness in wording. It is about professional respect for the review process. That respect increases approvals, reduces rework, and ensures patients do not get caught in financial limbo.
Courtesy in Internal Team Communication
Dental offices often underestimate how team culture impacts patient care. A rushed, tense environment behind the scenes eventually seeps into the front office and clinical chair. Courtesy inside the team is what allows the office to run smoothly.
Here are some small but powerful courtesies to model in your practice:
Front desk to hygienists: Provide patient notes before handoff, not after the patient is seated.
Assistants to dentists: Confirm the tray setup with a quick check-in rather than assuming.
Leaders to teams: Acknowledge contributions publicly in meetings, not just privately.
Research from Gallup (2020) shows that employees who feel respected are 55 percent more engaged and nearly twice as likely to stay with their organization. In dentistry, where turnover costs thousands in retraining, courtesy directly protects your bottom line.
Courtesy and Collections
Collections are one of the most sensitive areas in dentistry. Patients already feel stressed about money, and how your team communicates about balances can make or break the relationship. Courtesy here means being empathetic, not aggressive.
Instead of saying:
“Your account is overdue, you need to pay today.”
Try this:
“I wanted to go over your balance with you. We can set up a payment plan that makes this easier while still keeping your account in good standing.”
This approach respects the patient while still protecting the financial health of your practice. Many dental billing companies now train their teams specifically on how to use courtesy-based communication for collections because it works better and maintains trust.
Courtesy as Wisdom for Growth
When you zoom out, courtesy in dentistry is wisdom because it compounds over time. A single act of courtesy may seem small, but multiplied across patient interactions, insurance verifications, billing processes, and team culture, it becomes the engine of growth.
Think of courtesy as a long-term investment:
In patients: It builds loyalty and referrals.
In insurance: It speeds claims and reduces denials.
In staff: It reduces turnover and increases engagement.
In reputation: It sets your office apart from competitors.
Training Takeaway: A Courtesy Reset for Dental Offices
This week, I encourage you to run a Courtesy Reset in your office. Here is how:
Audit your patient greetings. Does every patient feel seen the moment they walk in?
Review your eligibility process. Are you catching coverage gaps before patients do?
Check three recent claim narratives. Do they read like professional clinical documents or rushed notes?
Listen to your team interactions. Courtesy in tone matters as much as courtesy in words.
Reframe collections. Are you demanding or partnering with patients on their balances?
These five steps form a wisdom-based strategy that does not just improve culture. They improve results.
References
American Dental Association. (2022). Tips for successful dental claim narratives. American Dental Association. https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/practice-management/dental-claim-narratives
Dental Economics. (2023). Why insurance verification is critical to patient trust. Dental Economics. https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/article/14292161/insurance-verification-and-patient-trust
Gallup. (2020). The real future of work: The intersection of talent, strategy and culture. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/284180/future-of-work.aspx
Journal of Dental Practice Administration. (2017). Patient perceptions and dental practice management. Journal of Dental Practice Administration, 34(2), 45–52. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5467189/
Psychology Today. (2021). The science of gratitude. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/gratitude
Work With Me
If you want me to train your team, speak at your event, or work with your practice as a fractional CEO, I would love to connect. You can schedule a virtual call with me through my website: sarahbethherman.com. Together, we can strengthen your dental team, refine your systems, and create a culture built on wisdom and courtesy.
Disclaimer:
To learn more about Sarah Beth Herman, the author of all free training content you can read her bio here. These materials are intended to provide helpful information to dentists and dental team members. They are in no way a substitute for actual professional advice based on your unique facts and circumstances. This content is not intended or offered, nor should it be taken, as legal or other professional advice. You should always consult with your own professional advisors (e.g. attorney, accountant, or insurance carrier). To the extent, Dentistry Support ®has included links to any third-party website (s), Dentistry Support ® intends no endorsement of their content and implies no affiliation with the organizations that provide their content. Further, Dentistry Support ® makes no representations or warranties about the information provided on those sites. You can view our privacy policy and terms and conditions by clicking those pages in the footer of our website.