Aforgotten question: “What is in the best interest of the patient?”
A late evening phone call from a woman who spent some of her high school days working in our dental office was most welcomed. I had not heard from her in some time. She was having dental care done at a local Midwest dental school and was troubled by the fact that her student dentist had recommended and was planning on restoring tooth #14 with a two-surface composite. She recalled that this was not a material we had used in that location and wanted to know what she should do.
Currently, she is unemployed and on disability and admitted that she knew a gold casting would be preferred. “Would amalgam be better than the composite?” she asked. I replied in the affirmative given her financial situation.
Routine conversation so far, right?
We finished the conversation with my encouraging her...