Season 5: Episode 129: Why Patients Say, "I'll Think About It" and Never Call Back: The Treatment Acceptance Crisis in Dentistry

Send us Fan Mail Sarah Beth Herman reflects on a dentist frustrated by unscheduled diagnosed treatment and argues the issue is often misnamed as “treatment acceptance” when it is really a decision-making problem rooted in uncertainty and perceived risk. Drawing on neuroscience and experience, she explains that patients can understand a diagnosis yet still hesitate because the brain treats uncertainty like danger, amplifying fears about cost, discomfort, surgery, or past trauma. She distinguis...