An introduction to the hesitant dentist
Trained dentists who see what's needed. And hesitate to say it.
I'm Dr Bhavin Bhatt, a general dentist of 27 years. I help capable, well-trained dentists turn what they already know into confident conversations, so check-up patients are offered the care they need. My method is built on published research and measured results.
"How do I offer my check-up patients the comprehensive care they actually need, without sounding like a salesman?"The question I hear most. I call it the hesitant dentist.
of dentists taking routine records at check-ups, over 12 months10
acceptance of comprehensive treatment across a ten-practice group, in 90 days
median monthly laboratory activity per dentist, over 12 months10
The problem
The work exists. The patients need it. The conversation is missing.
of adults in England attend for regular check-ups9
have gum pockets deeper than 3.5mm, and 21% have active decay9
say their oral health affects their daily life9
of dentists in my study weren't taking routine records at check-ups when it began10
Care that is never offered never appears in a report. So the gap stays invisible.
Who the hesitant dentist is
Capable, trained, aware, and still silent.
This is not
A lack of skill, experience or care. These dentists have done the courses and can deliver the treatment.
This is
The gap between knowing and saying. Capability that is there, but not yet used in the surgery.
What hesitation costs
It shows up as frustration long before it shows up in the figures.
For the dentist
Skills left unused
Days filled with check-ups and fillings, not the dentistry they trained for. A dentist who feels stuck starts looking for a practice where they might not be.
For the patient
Choices never offered
A need that is seen but not explained leaves the patient unable to decide, and problems progress quietly.
For the group
Value never recorded
The chair time, training and recruitment are paid for. The care that would repay them is never offered, so it never appears in a report.
A 60-second self-check
Is hesitation happening in your practices?
Five questions about routines, not people. Answer for your practices as they are today.
Your result
Answer all five to see your result
0 of 5 answered.
Discuss your resultA conversation starter, not a diagnosis.
Why it happens
Two fears, and a changed starting point.
Fear of sounding salesy
They became dentists to help people. Recommending treatment to someone who came for a check-up feels like selling, so the message is softened until it disappears.
Fear of hearing "no"
People who expect rejection see it in neutral moments and avoid the conversations that risk it.4 A patient's "not yet" feels personal, so the recommendation waits.
Many of today's associates also grew up as everyday conversation moved onto screens, with less practice at face-to-face conversations that risk a "no".1 It explains why the hesitation is so common. It is not a judgement on the dentist.
The years childhood moved onto phones, which Haidt calls "the great rewiring"1
of Gen Z feel stressed or anxious all or most of the time2
of young UK adults prefer texting to a phone call3
Why more training alone doesn't fix it
Cochrane review · 81 trials
~6%Median improvement in professional practice from education meetings and workshops. Smaller still for complex behaviours.5
Same training, with and without follow-up
Productivity gain among managers in a public health agency.6
The skill is already there. Hesitation is a response to friction, and friction can be removed.
How I solve it · the activation and adoption programme
A measured pathway from knowing to saying.
I have built and run this programme with hundreds of dentists across the UK and Europe. Each part answers one of the findings above, and every step is measured.
Routine
Records at every check-up
A simple, repeatable routine gives the dentist something to show and a reason to talk, so the conversation starts itself.7,10
Framing
Consent, not selling
Options are presented as the patient's right to know, which removes the fear of sounding salesy.8
Rehearsal and coaching
90 days, not one course
Short practice and follow-up coaching, because training sticks when it is followed up.5,6
Measurement
Outcomes you can show
Before-and-after measures for each dentist and across practices.10
It is designed to run alongside experienced clinical leads and mentors, not to replace them. It gives them a shared routine, shared language and shared measures, so each dentist keeps their own way of practising while the group sees the change across every site. The aim is measurable: more engaged dentists and more care offered.
Since Montgomery (2015), clinicians must take reasonable care that patients know their material risks and reasonable alternatives.8 A need seen but never mentioned leaves the patient unable to choose. Framed this way, the conversation becomes part of the dentist's duty.
The evidence
When the routine changed, care followed.
My 12-month study with the University of Manchester followed 97 general dentists across three cohorts. It is due to be published in the British Dental Journal.10
Dentists taking routine records at check-ups
More routine records went with more treatment (r = 0.72 to 0.84).
Median monthly laboratory activity per dentist
Appointment length shaped whether change was possible.
case finish rate across a ten-practice group, in 90 days
acceptance of comprehensive treatment, same group, same 90 days
dentists assessed on the accredited Level 7 diploma I built and directed
These figures come from my own research and programmes I have led. They describe what happened in those settings, not a promise of any particular result.
About
Dr Bhavin Bhatt
A general dentist of 27 years who still works clinically one day a week. I have owned three practices, led clinical growth across a ten-practice group, and built and directed an accredited postgraduate diploma for general dentists.
- BDS, University of London, 1999Royal London Hospital Medical College
- MFGDPRoyal College of Surgeons of England
- Kois Center graduateComprehensive, risk-based dentistry
- Programme DirectorAccredited Level 7 diploma, 360 CPD hours
Next step
If you recognise the hesitant dentist in your own practices, the simplest test is a small pilot: a handful of practices, 90 days, measured before and after. I'd welcome a conversation.
Thank you
Your request has reached me. I'll be in touch shortly.
Prefer email?
drbhavinbhatt@gmail.com
References
- Haidt J. The Anxious Generation. Allen Lane; 2024.
- Deloitte. Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 2025.
- Korn Ferry. UK survey of 18–34 year olds on phone calls; December 2024.
- Downey G, Feldman SI. Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1996;70(6):1327–43.
- Forsetlund L et al. Continuing education meetings and workshops: effects on professional practice. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009.
- Olivero G, Bane KD, Kopelman RE. Executive coaching as a transfer of training tool. Public Personnel Management. 1997;26(4):461–69.
- Michie S, van Stralen MM, West R. The behaviour change wheel. Implementation Science. 2011;6:42.
- Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11; see BDA guidance.
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Adult Oral Health Survey 2023. Adults in England aged 16+.
- Bhatt B, Savania Y, Mughal S, Nimaa Z, Lavan-Iswaran D, Bassett P, Kitsaras G. Digital-first dentistry: routine intraoral scanning, communication and comprehensive care in general dental practice. University of Manchester; forthcoming, British Dental Journal.