What’s Your Greatest Asset as a Dentist?

What do you think is your greatest asset as a dentist? Being a good clinician, a strong leader, a skilled businessperson? For me, it’s storytelling.

In dental and medical school, we weren’t taught how to tell stories—we were taught facts. We memorized glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, bacteriology, and anatomy. We learned how to perform procedures, but no one ever taught us how to connect through stories.

Why Facts Alone Don’t Work

After more than 40 years in practice, I’ve seen that patients don’t connect with facts and figures. They connect with stories. The dentists most successful at getting patients to say yes to comprehensive treatment are the ones who know how to tell stories—not lies, but relatable stories that help patients understand and trust.

As an educator, I rarely rely on dry slides filled with data. Instead, I tell stories—even about biology. For example, I’ll describe how one cell “eats” another or how bone begins to form. People relate to stories. We don’t relate in facts and numbers—we relate through narrative.

Connecting to the Lizard Brain

We all have three nervous systems:

• The autonomic system, which runs automatically in the background

• The reasonable system, or frontal cortex, which processes facts and logic

• The “lizard brain,” which controls memory and emotion

Facts speak to the reasonable system, but emotions live in the lizard brain. That’s where stories make the deepest impact. People don’t go to movies to see numbers on a screen—they go to cry, laugh, and feel something. Patients are no different.

Why Empathy Matters More Than Data

When patients share their dental history, I listen—not because I can’t see what’s happened from X-rays, but because it matters to them. Listening shows empathy, and empathy creates connection.

One thing we were never taught in school is the importance of being empathetic. When patients feel you’re listening, they feel cared for. And when you speak in stories or parables, they can relate to you more deeply.

A Real Example of Storytelling in Action

I once worked with a colleague who became a periodontist because of his own periodontal disease. He was embarrassed to share this, but once he did, his case acceptance jumped from 50% to 80% within weeks.

I share my own dental history with patients too. Sometimes I’ll tell them, “No, your mouth isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen—mine is.” That simple act of vulnerability makes them feel connected and understood.

Patients Want Connection, Not Perfection

The best surgeon in the world won’t have a busy practice if patients don’t like them. Patients want skill, yes—but they also want kindness and connection. In fact, patients who feel cared for often heal better, with lower stress and less pain.

As healthcare providers, our role is to make patients feel comfortable and valued. That means stepping out from behind the white coat, leaving the ivory tower, and talking to people as human beings.

The Power of Practice and Time

Learning to tell stories and show empathy doesn’t happen overnight. It’s taken me 40 years to improve, and I’m still learning. But I’ve seen again and again that when dentists embrace storytelling and empathy, patients say yes to treatment more often, practices thrive, and dentistry becomes more meaningful.

So tell a great story. Connect with empathy. And always remember—be the gift.