Difficult patient? Don’t handle the situation like this [VIDEO]

A story on the BBC News website recounts the untoward actions of Raghuvir Patel, a dentist in the British town of Braintree, after a mother and child visited his office with a broken orthodontic appliance.

According to the report, Dr. Patel threw the child’s appliance at the mother; apparently in reaction to what he believed was a fabricated account of how the appliance was broken.

Dr. Patel told the General Dental Council, which is the regulating body of dental professionals in the UK, that he had no recollection of the incident; although he did admit that something had occurred.  In its finding, the council asserted, “It was incredible that [the dentist] could not recollect such a unique experience,” and called the throwing of the appliance “reckless.”

Genny Hegarty of Dental Practice Development, Inc. offers tips on how to effectively deal with an upset patient or employee

The incident was included in a hearing addressing additional misconduct by Dr. Patel, including shouting and making sexual comments toward staff members, but the doctor was cleared of those allegations.  Patel also admitted to calling another staff member “Shorty,” but insisted the comment was made in a “friendly way.”

For information and tips on how to manage frustrations and deal with difficult patients, take a look at the helpful articles under "Further Reading" in the side block of this article.

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