When Treatment Feels Too Big (E.328)

 

“We just have to figure out which direction that we’re going to go and something that’s going to be able to fit into your lifestyle and your budget.” – Sommer Carrol

Brief Overview of the Episode

Major dental treatment is never just clinical.

For many patients, it comes with years of embarrassment, fear, financial pressure, and the quiet belief that their situation may be too far gone. Sommer Carrol has spent nearly three decades walking patients through those moments, helping them feel understood before they are asked to make a major decision.

In this episode, Sara and Sommer discuss the role dental team members play in building trust, creating comfort, asking better questions, and helping patients move forward when treatment feels overwhelming.

What This Episode Reveals

• Patients often feel overwhelmed before the treatment plan is ever presented.
• The dental team may hear fears the patient does not say to the doctor.
• Budget conversations can build trust when they come from compassion.
• Treatment acceptance begins when the patient feels safe enough to move forward.

What You’ll Learn

• How Sommer helps patients feel seen before talking about treatment.
• Why asking about budget can help create a realistic path forward.
• How assistants can become the bridge between the patient and the doctor.
• Why small moments of trust can change the entire patient experience.

If This Sounds Familiar

A patient comes in needing major treatment.

They know something needs to change, but the size of the decision stops them.

They are thinking about the cost.
They are thinking about how long they have avoided care.
They are thinking about their smile, their health, their family, and whether they can really trust the process.

That is where the team changes everything.
Not by pushing harder.

By slowing down, listening well, and helping the patient see a path they can actually take.

Next Steps

If your patients are hesitating on treatment, do not only look at the treatment presentation.

Look at the moments before it.

Are patients being heard before they are educated?
Are they being guided with confidence, or handed off too quickly?
Are financial conversations helping them see options, or making the decision feel even heavier?

This episode will help your team understand how to support patients when the dentistry is necessary, but the decision feels big.

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Build Trust Before Pain Decides

Patients do not always doubt the dentistry. They doubt what they cannot feel, what they do not understand, or what feels too personal to face.

At Unrestricted, you will step back, look at the quality of your revenue, and build a more intentional path forward for your practice. Because when your diagnosis, communication, and team alignment are clear, patients can make confident decisions before pain becomes the reason they finally say yes.

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TRANSCRIPT

 

00:00:00:04 – 00:00:03:07
Speaker 1
The Productive Dentist Academy podcast network.

00:00:03:09 – 00:00:22:07
Sommer Carrol
Her coming in and being so feeling so defeated. And he, you know, he said to her, if you had a really nice car, how often would you wash that car? And she was like, she kind of stopped and was like, well, I would probably wash it every week.

00:00:22:08 – 00:00:48:05
Sara Hansen
Hi everyone. Welcome back to the Everyday Practices Podcast. Today’s conversation is one that every dental team needs to hear. We spend so much time talking about treatment plans, but not enough time talking about what patients actually fill in these moments and really how the team shows up. And often the person who sees them first is not the doctor, it’s the dental team.

00:00:48:06 – 00:01:18:18
Sara Hansen
So today I am so honored. We are joined by someone who has spent more than two decades walking patients through those moments. Summer Carol has been with Granbury Dental Center since 1998. Girl helping patients navigate treatment, smile transformations, and really, the emotional side of dentistry that people don’t talk about. Summer, I’m really excited for this conversation, so welcome to the podcast.

00:01:18:20 – 00:01:20:20
Sommer Carrol
Thank you. Thanks for having me.

00:01:20:22 – 00:01:34:13
Sara Hansen
Yeah. So 1998. That is almost 30 years in dentistry. Yes. What has changed from when you first started?

00:01:34:15 – 00:02:07:09
Sommer Carrol
So much has changed. I learned everything on the job when I started in dentistry. I had previously been working at a vet clinic, basically, you know, helping with surgeries. And I was cleaning dogs and cats teeth. That’s about as close anything that I knew about dentistry. And so I learned everything on the job. I was trained, you know, by the best, in my opinion, and I got the opportunity to work in different roles.

00:02:07:09 – 00:02:33:11
Sommer Carrol
So, started out as a dental assistant. I learned a lot over, you know, where I had worked with one of the associates. And so, and then I was a hygiene coordinator. I was a hygiene assistant. I worked up front for some times and would fill in. I did insurance verification. So I’m literally kind of walked in a lot of different roles in the dental office.

00:02:33:11 – 00:02:53:07
Sommer Carrol
And I feel like that gives me, you know, a good idea and understanding of what everyone in the team’s roles are. Yeah, my preference is to be chair side. That’s where I feel like I thrive and where I feel like I can benefit the patients the most.

00:02:53:09 – 00:02:54:03
Sara Hansen
Yeah.

00:02:54:05 – 00:03:24:14
Sommer Carrol
That’s what I enjoy is just really walking them through their journey of, you know, where they’re where they’re at, where they start, and walking them through to get them their confidence back and their self-esteem back. And, it’s very rewarding. I feel like I don’t know how many other industries have such a rewarding career. And, you know, we get emotional paychecks when we do, our smile reveals.

00:03:24:14 – 00:03:29:10
Sommer Carrol
And that is just, it’s very special.

00:03:29:12 – 00:03:54:07
Sara Hansen
You know? It really is. That’s something that we’ve talked to so many practices about over the years is doctors and dental teams. Do you realize you are literally transforming patients lives every single day? You know, and I think because of the stuff that we do every day, we get, you know, into the, you know, checklist of life. Right?

00:03:54:07 – 00:04:19:22
Sara Hansen
And I think sometimes we forget about the power that we really have in helping these patients not only get healthy, but, you know, cosmetic wise and even just functionality to be able to chew any dinner. I mean, we take that for granted, right? So what are some of the things that really brought that passion for you for dentistry over the years?

00:04:19:23 – 00:04:45:11
Sommer Carrol
I really think that it’s just watching the transformation. You know, Doctor Baird talked about a patient that she was, you know, young when she came in, and she. Her teeth were not the best color. She had kept having decay. You know, every time she would come in, she had more cavities. She was drinking doctor peppers. She wasn’t.

00:04:45:16 – 00:05:10:22
Sommer Carrol
Didn’t have really good home care. And, she had a brother who had never, ever had a cavity. And it was she was constantly having cavities. And I remember her coming in and being so feeling so defeated. And he, you know, he said to her, if you had a really nice car, how often would you wash that car?

00:05:10:24 – 00:05:38:16
Sommer Carrol
And she was like, she kind of stopped and was like, well, I would probably wash it every week. And he said, and if you had a car that you didn’t care for, how often would you wash it? And she just broke into tears. And, you know, she’s 22 years old at the time, I believe. And because she understood what he was talking about, you know, didn’t like her smile and she, she wasn’t taking great care of her smile and her teeth.

00:05:38:16 – 00:06:03:10
Sommer Carrol
And it was leading her down this path. And her parents were tired and frustrated of spending all this money. And yeah, me assured her that he could give her a beautiful smile. But we talked about risk factors and we talked about her decay risk, and her gums were not in the best shape. And so we talked to her about coming in and going through gum therapy and using carry free.

00:06:03:11 – 00:06:30:07
Speaker 4
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Speaker 4
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00:06:51:03 – 00:07:18:19
Sommer Carrol
And really getting off the coax and the doctor peppers and stuff because he said I can give you a beautiful smile, but I’m not going to have your parents spend this money if you great care of it. And she was she wouldn’t hardly look you in the eye. She was very, very soft spoken, just, you know, struggling. And the smile transformation that we were able to give her and her mom and dad both became patients.

00:07:18:19 – 00:07:43:22
Sommer Carrol
And, you know, they were they were just so thankful and appreciative. And I remember her mom coming in with her and saying, you know, crying and just saying, you’ve given me my daughter back. Like, oh, it’s not just a smile. It’s like her personality changed. And, you know, now she’s a she’s a mom. She has a little one year old little girl and I’m friends with her on Facebook.

00:07:43:23 – 00:08:12:18
Sommer Carrol
I still see her parents. And you know, that’s really that’s special when you can be a part of that. So that’s that’s the passion, you know, that’s what I strive for, I guess, is given giving people back their confidence and just seeing their personalities come back. And I’m I can just tell you, you know, there’s so many stories of, there’s a guy that was a patient like eight years ago or something, and he we didn’t even realize it.

00:08:12:18 – 00:08:39:00
Sommer Carrol
But at the time, he was on drugs and alcohol and was really struggling. And he didn’t even he didn’t have upper teeth. He just had a some interiors on the lower. And, anyway, we didn’t end up doing any treatment on him until probably two years ago. And that’s when he shared with us kind of where he was at when he came in originally.

00:08:39:07 – 00:09:13:08
Sommer Carrol
And, man, you ought to see his smile now, you know, and it’s just see them getting back into the work field and just being successful, having relationships and children. You know, dentistry can it’s hard. It’s stressful. Yeah. You know, it’s it’s hard on the body. It’s hard on your back and your neck and, Yeah, but all of those special stories and transformations make all those aches and pains worth it.

00:09:13:10 – 00:09:13:24
Sara Hansen
I love.

00:09:13:24 – 00:09:14:14
Sommer Carrol
That.

00:09:14:15 – 00:09:42:02
Sara Hansen
You know, it really is kind of this unique industry that I don’t think we, we think about as far as really changing lives. You’ve been an assistant for a really long time. I have to say, I was an assistant 25 years ago. I loved it as well. I still would love to be able to, like, get in there and assist, I loved it.

00:09:42:04 – 00:10:07:09
Sara Hansen
What are some of those things though? Because I know as well as you do that the doctor comes in, you really have a great relationship with these patients simply for the fact that they spend more time with the hygienist, with the assistance, right? Then they really do what the doctor. So what are some of those things that patients are saying to you that they’re not saying to the doctor?

00:10:07:11 – 00:10:35:23
Sommer Carrol
Well, I think that they are more likely to share some of their fears with me. You know, initially when they come in as a new patient, you know, we have obviously the medical history and the, you know, simple kind of questions of, are you happy with your smile? Yeah. Basic things. But then we ask them, like, what brought you, what made you, what made you decide to move forward now, you know, like, what is it that you want?

00:10:36:00 – 00:11:06:12
Sommer Carrol
Do you want function, health? Smile. You know, what is it that you really want? And I think they’re a little bit more, less afraid maybe share with me versus the doctor. And I just start to utilize that time in that the papers that they filled out to kind of guide that questioning and just really start to ask them, you know, how can we help you?

00:11:06:14 – 00:11:29:08
Sommer Carrol
What what does what you make the call, what made you, you know, what brought you in today? And I start talking to them about risk factors. And, you know, they kind of start to understand when we go down this path. First of all, that I don’t just want to talk about teeth out who they are and you know, what they do for a living.

00:11:29:09 – 00:11:56:09
Sommer Carrol
Do they have kids? Do they want to find out a personal life, too? And they they start really early in the appointment, learning that we’re different. Yeah. You know, where they’re like, I’ve never had anybody actually talk to me and get to know me before they started talking about just my teeth. And, you know, I think that that is a simple thing to do.

00:11:56:09 – 00:12:16:18
Sommer Carrol
And I say it’s simple. I know a lot of dentists have a hard time with that, you know, getting on the personal level, they just want to. I’m just here to talk about teeth. But I think when you take the time to get to know someone, it really gives them. You can almost see the relief. You know.

00:12:16:19 – 00:12:17:14
Sara Hansen
It’s like.

00:12:17:16 – 00:12:44:06
Sommer Carrol
Oh, this is this is a different place. And, you know, I let them know what they can expect during the appointment. So, you know, today we’re going to gather information. We’re going to take the CBC, we’re going to take individual X-rays. Yeah. And doctor’s going to come in here and talk to you about what your options are and really just make recommendations on what you’re a candidate for.

00:12:44:06 – 00:13:09:07
Sommer Carrol
And then we’ll talk about cost and timeline and payment options. So we’re going to try to get all of your questions answered while you’re here today. And and you can literally go that they just really go, okay, that’s that’s exactly what I need. And and so then when the doctor comes in. So in other words, I’m just setting the doctor up, right, to come in and just be able to sit down and be themselves.

00:13:09:07 – 00:13:38:16
Sommer Carrol
And you know, I think that that does set us apart. And I think that, you know, when people come in for second opinion, sometimes third opinions, I think that that makes a difference in because they say, I’ve never been talked to and had done this office like this. You never felt like this at a dentist office. You know, I have a I have a patient, one of my favorite patients that really, we did a all on X on him upper and lower.

00:13:38:16 – 00:14:04:19
Sommer Carrol
And he was a paramedic when he came in. And, he had some really bad gum disease to the point where, like, his front tooth was loose and he had space. I just remember him being very guarded with even opening his mouth. He would barely look me in the eye. You know, and we did a extensive treatment plan on him.

00:14:05:00 – 00:14:38:00
Sommer Carrol
Yeah. You know, when we. And we got him through it and then. But when he, we finished his case, he he looked me dead in the eye, and he said, I just want you to know that you’re the reason why are you or the way you changed my life. He said I had been to several different dental offices before I came to your office, and every time I left, I felt worse about myself, he said.

00:14:38:00 – 00:15:05:24
Sommer Carrol
But when I came in to you, he said, I didn’t feel judged. I felt like you really, truly wanted to help me. And he said, you are the reason why I came here. You are the reason why I chose to do my work here, and you changed my life. And, you know, I get teary eyed even thinking about it because I didn’t know that I, you know, like, I just I just connected with him.

00:15:06:05 – 00:15:38:08
Sommer Carrol
I met him where he was at. And, so to be a part of that is, is very special. And, you know, the dental dentistry, you asked me earlier what what has changed. And I don’t think I really answered that, but, the digital world has changed everything, like just completely and not having to take all these impressions and doing scans and photogrammetry and.

00:15:38:10 – 00:15:58:00
Sommer Carrol
And it is it’s a very fun time to be in dentistry because of all the cool technology. And I know there’s things out there that I don’t even know about. You know, but just the the quality of the dentistry and the smiles that we’re able to produce, it’s very special.

00:15:58:02 – 00:16:22:10
Sara Hansen
Yeah. You know, so I was thinking back to the days of assisting and, you know, you talked about impressions. I really think there was times we probably like rock or rock, paper, scissors who had to take the impression on the patient. Right. Like so. But what I love is this technology is now really what’s better for the patient?

00:16:22:11 – 00:16:49:21
Sara Hansen
They have a better patient experience because our technology is better, you know. And so dentistry is not what it once was as far as you know. I think patients speak up a little bit more. I think that dental teams definitely work on our relationships. I think dentistry now, we’ve seen the importance of taking that time to really form the connections with our patients.

00:16:49:22 – 00:17:16:22
Sara Hansen
The medical field is still, you know, get them in, get them out type thing. But dentistry, we really are starting to slow down now. And I think teams are understanding, hey, this is crucially important to our patients, you know, saying yes to their health. One thing that I heard you say that I love is and you know, we know that Bruce said this all the time, which is we just take great care of our patients.

00:17:17:01 – 00:17:35:04
Sara Hansen
So, you know, in our dental offices, it gets crazy, it gets chaotic, we get behind schedule, you know, how do you slow down, take the time to get to know them and to ultimately just take great care of the patients?

00:17:35:06 – 00:18:09:11
Sommer Carrol
Well, that is, because I have an awesome team around me and supporting me. And, you know, we all are patient, focused and everybody will step in and help. And that that gives me the ability to be able to spend the time and not feel too rushed. Because I know that I have a great team that supports me and that can get that patient, you know, if I’m running behind with this patient because they need extra time, then I reach out to my team and ask for help.

00:18:09:11 – 00:18:26:10
Sommer Carrol
And they I know that they’re going to have my back. And that’s what gives me the ability to be able to stay right there and stay focused on on the patient or the task at hand, because we take great care of each other as a team as well.

00:18:26:12 – 00:18:27:05
Sara Hansen
Yeah.

00:18:27:06 – 00:18:45:14
Sommer Carrol
I think that that’s what gives me the ability to stay focused and, you know, stay stay in the moment with the patient and give them the care that they need, whether it’s a clinical point, you know, like very technical implant screws and things like that.

00:18:45:15 – 00:18:46:00
Sara Hansen
Yeah.

00:18:46:03 – 00:19:07:19
Sommer Carrol
Yeah. Or it’s taking x rays or whatever, you know. And not everybody in the office obviously can do all of this stuff with the hybrids or you know, everybody has kind of this our specialty kind of things that we do. But they can definitely get them back, get the blood pressure, get them comfortable, get a blanket, get their pillow, you know.

00:19:07:20 – 00:19:29:06
Sommer Carrol
In other words, just get them comfortable and set and ready and talk to them and assure them that summer is going to be in here in a moment. And she’s just running a few minutes behind. And but that way they can get them settled and ready. And, and I really think if, if I didn’t have the support of a great team, I don’t know that I would be able to deliver the same care.

00:19:29:08 – 00:20:02:09
Sara Hansen
Yeah, I love that. When we talk about our patients and, you know, again, I you are such a pivotal part of that patient experience. And what what language would you give other dental team members that are listening to this about, you know, what would you say to a patient that’s already feeling overwhelmed and maybe as hesitant about the treatment that’s been presented before them?

00:20:02:11 – 00:20:07:14
Sommer Carrol
I think that most patients that come in.

00:20:07:16 – 00:20:10:10
Sommer Carrol
Are overwhelmed or they feel overwhelmed.

00:20:10:11 – 00:20:11:01
Sara Hansen
Yeah.

00:20:11:05 – 00:20:37:02
Sommer Carrol
Some of them come in and they’re they’ve done a lot of research. They may have already had, you know, a treatment plan given. But I think, you know, because of the marketing that we do, we’re marketing for big cases, pretty much, you know, we are marketing for those people that need the small transformations. And so pretty much the patients that I see now are not in a good way.

00:20:37:04 – 00:21:00:09
Sommer Carrol
You know, they have multiple missing teeth. They have they don’t have a good happy smile. They are not going to their kids activities at school because they don’t want to embarrass their children. They everybody that they work with thinks that they’re unhappy and their spouses think they’re unhappy, and they don’t want to go out to eat because they’re embarrassed to eat.

00:21:00:09 – 00:21:29:09
Sommer Carrol
And so, you know, I think the majority of people in this situation are overwhelmed. And I think just being able to give them confidence that you’re going to provide them like that, we can give you a we can get you a great smile. We just have to figure out which direction that we’re going to go and something that’s going to be able to fit into your lifestyle and your budget.

00:21:29:14 – 00:21:56:02
Sommer Carrol
Because bottom line, it does come down to budget. Yeah. We don’t want to say that. Like we don’t want to think that no, everybody can get financing. Well, that’s just not true. Yeah. You know and so we I just want to kind of figure out where their pain point is. And you know, sometimes money is not an issue, but sometimes they need the confidence that we can do this.

00:21:56:02 – 00:22:01:18
Sommer Carrol
And I think just providing them

00:22:01:20 – 00:22:23:09
Sommer Carrol
Well I keep saying confidence, but I don’t know. I mean that’s really what it is. It’s confident we can provide the smile confidence that we have can get great results. Yeah. Be able to bite into an apple again. You’re going to be able to eat a steak again. You know, I have so many patients that their diet has changed, right?

00:22:23:10 – 00:22:52:20
Sommer Carrol
Not only does that affect them for many different reasons, but it affects their health because digestion is different. The types of foods that they’re able to eat has changed. So it really, truly affects their overall health. Yeah. You know, my my dad is about to go through a transformation, and we’ve been working on him for well as long as I’ve been here 28 years, we’ve been working to try to fight to keep his teeth.

00:22:52:20 – 00:23:21:17
Sommer Carrol
And it’s it’s to a point to where we’ve lost the battle and we’ve got to do something different. And, you know, it’s been a quite a journey walking my dad down this path. And, you know, obviously he’s nervous. He’s you know, anyway, so it doesn’t matter to me if it’s my dad or somebody I’ve never met before. I just really want to let them know that we’ve got you.

00:23:21:18 – 00:23:34:00
Sommer Carrol
We’ve got to. We’ve got a great team. You’re going to be in good hands, and you know, you’re going to feel like you’re going to be part of our family. And, you know, you we’re going to take great care of you.

00:23:34:02 – 00:24:00:11
Sara Hansen
Yeah, I, I mean, I can just fill your compassion. And obviously I know you on a personal level because we, you know, been at many events together and I know how compassionate and caring you are. But I love that even every patient that comes through fills that you. I when you spoke to not every patient can qualify for financing.

00:24:00:11 – 00:24:36:20
Sara Hansen
Right now. I am hearing that so much in the industry about, you know, when gas prices are expensive and food is expensive and, you know, all these different things that really affects our patients. It’s not that they don’t value the treatment, but sometimes those finances are very overwhelming, very scary, or they simply just cannot afford it. So what would you say to those practices that are feeling that right now of we’re having a harder time helping our patients because they simply, you know, are having a harder time being able to afford it?

00:24:36:21 – 00:24:39:19
Sara Hansen
What what’s your recommendation, summer?

00:24:39:21 – 00:25:00:05
Sommer Carrol
Well, I remember one day I had been in there with a new patient and and Doctor Baird said, well, what’s their budget? And I was like, I don’t know what is. He’s going there and ask him. And I was like, I cannot do that. And he’s like, no, I need to know. Just go in there and ask them what their budget is.

00:25:00:05 – 00:25:05:24
Sommer Carrol
And I was like, Doctor Baird. That’s like asking somebody like, how much money do you have in your checking account?

00:25:06:00 – 00:25:06:08
Sara Hansen
Like.

00:25:06:10 – 00:25:30:00
Sommer Carrol
Yeah, you know, I might as well ask him, I don’t know. Anyway. So, it felt uncomfortable. But then when I did, he was able to provide them a treatment plan that was going to fit into their budget. Right. Mercies talking about something.

00:25:30:02 – 00:26:01:24
Sommer Carrol
Fantastic that they would never be able to have. Right. You know, and so I do that a lot now. And it’s it gets easier when you start talking about treatment plan, when your treatment plan presentation, the financial conversation from the back, scheduling from the back, all that stuff can be scary if you’re not currently doing it. But what I recommend, what I feel is these patients feel more comfortable talking to me about this because I’m the one that greeted them, you know?

00:26:02:05 – 00:26:29:19
Sommer Carrol
Yeah, gotten checked in. I walk them through, you know, I’ve already gotten to know them. I’ve already calm them down a little bit. They’ve been in there listening to the doctor do the treatment plan. And then when we go into the financial conversation and the scheduling and everything, it’s like they feel comfortable with me. And, anyway, I just, I think that it’s not as comfortable to be able to do that.

00:26:29:19 – 00:27:02:15
Sommer Carrol
But when you when you’re not doing it, it’s easier just to hand that off. But I think that the patients feel more comfortable because I’m the one that’s created that conversation with them and made them feel that way. But asking the budget question, it really does help because, I mean, let’s just say they need to have just, you know, crowns and fillings and stuff like that, like they they have some decay, but they can’t afford $10,000 worth of fillings and crowns.

00:27:02:18 – 00:27:24:01
Sommer Carrol
What did they do? Are you going to do one quadrant because that’s all they can afford. And then three years later, all those other teeth are bummed out and they’re having to be extracted. Well, why not just do all the buildups in their mouth and arrest the decay? Counsel them on what got them there, talk about risk factors.

00:27:24:01 – 00:27:48:05
Sommer Carrol
Provide them with a way, an avenue of how to treat those risk factors. Nutritional counseling. You know what got them in here? Slow down the decay and then do the crowns one quadrant a year if you have to. You’re still going to get them where they need to be, but at least you are compassionate enough to work with them and work with their budget.

00:27:48:08 – 00:28:08:14
Sommer Carrol
Because bottom line, people’s got to feed their families and they’ve got to be able to have cars and houses and they’ve got to pay their bills. And so if they only have, you know, $300, well, what are you going to do with $300? You’re going to charge them for your exam and x rays. Are you going to charge them?

00:28:08:16 – 00:28:30:16
Sommer Carrol
Are you going to provide them with some carry free and nutritional counseling and get them in and get their gums cleaned up? You know, it’s really, really just have to put yourself in their shoes. And that’s really how we treat people. You know, like when Doctor Baird or Doctor Boesky go in and talk to patients, it’s they talk to them as if they were their family.

00:28:30:16 – 00:28:52:12
Sommer Carrol
And what I would do if if it was me, this is what I would do if you were my mom or my sister. And, you know, and we do talk about ideal treatment just so they know it is out there. But if you can’t afford $50,000 worth of implants, then let’s talk about the next best thing. Let’s try will fit in your budget.

00:28:52:13 – 00:28:56:20
Sommer Carrol
Because financially it’s got to make sense.

00:28:56:22 – 00:29:23:15
Sara Hansen
Yeah. You know, you said the word compassion. And I love that because when you come from a place of compassion around financial conversations, I know so many team members. They’re like, I don’t like talking about it. It makes me uncomfortable. But when you come from a place of compassion, you know, the reality is, is that yes, the the doctor, the team, you all need to be paid, right?

00:29:23:16 – 00:29:47:06
Sara Hansen
As much as we’d love to do everything for free, we can’t. But when you come from a place of compassion now you take that patient away from feeling shameful or embarrassed that maybe they don’t have the financial means, but you’re also now putting their health first, saying we have other options, right? This is best case scenario. We understand you’re not at that place.

00:29:47:06 – 00:30:11:10
Sara Hansen
So what can we do to get you healthy? Because ultimately our goal is to take really great care of you. I love just that compassion, you know, that that teams can offer. So Summer, what would you tell other assistants who underestimate how important their role really is to not only the practice, but the patients?

00:30:11:12 – 00:30:18:07
Sommer Carrol
You know, I, I feel sometimes like the dental assistants have the.

00:30:18:09 – 00:30:20:04
Sommer Carrol
Hard job.

00:30:20:06 – 00:30:21:06
Sara Hansen
Yeah.

00:30:21:08 – 00:30:52:15
Sommer Carrol
You know, I mean, I know all the roles are very important. I follow a bunch of dental assistant pages and I see that everybody, most all dental assistants feel under paid and under appreciated. I just think that I don’t even really worry about my pay. I mean, yes, I need to get paid. Yes. But, yeah, I don’t I just don’t focus on that.

00:30:52:15 – 00:31:22:22
Sommer Carrol
I focus on what I’m there to do and what I can do to make the patients have a better outcome on what I can do to help my team, to train my team to, you know. Yes. It’s hard. I don’t know what else to say. I mean, we all the assistants know that. Yeah, but I think you should just focus on the good that you’re able to do.

00:31:22:24 – 00:31:48:04
Sommer Carrol
Focus on treating people how you would want to be treated. You know, because it’s easy to say I’m busy. I haven’t had a lunch, I, I, I, I, I, I but what about the rest of the team, you know, and if I do get a lunch, then maybe I should go check in with everybody else and make sure that everybody else can get a lunch.

00:31:48:04 – 00:32:08:23
Sommer Carrol
And what what can I? In other words, it’s like, what can I do to help you so that we can all have a break? I, I focus a lot on my team, and like I say, I count on them. They take care of me, but I also try to take care of them, too. And, you know, we all want to go home.

00:32:08:23 – 00:32:28:03
Sommer Carrol
At the end of the day. We all have our own lives. And, but just we just have fun, you know, we laugh, we laugh, and our patients are like, my gosh, when I come in here, y’all just seem like you’re so happy and everybody’s having fun. And it’s like, so we try to focus a lot on that.

00:32:28:03 – 00:32:34:08
Sommer Carrol
We, you know, we play hard and work hard.

00:32:34:10 – 00:33:07:12
Sara Hansen
Yep. Summer, this was such a powerful conversation with you today because it reminds us that dentistry is never just clinical. You know, patients walk into our practices needing crowns and implants, and, I mean, you even spoke to really full smile transformations. But underneath all of that, they are really coming with fear and embarrassment, uncertainty and years of emotional trauma that’s tied to their smile.

00:33:07:12 – 00:33:53:16
Sara Hansen
And what I love about your perspective is the reminder that trust is always built in those small moments. The conversation after the doctor leaves the room, the tone you know, the feeling that someone is actually listening to them and walking beside them through the process. You are a true patient advocate, and for every dental team that’s listening to this episode, it’s a reminder that treatment acceptance is not just about explaining the procedures better, but it’s actually about helping patients feel safe enough to say yes and move forward with something that feels really big in their life.

00:33:53:16 – 00:34:07:00
Sara Hansen
So Summer, thank you so much for being here, sharing your heart, your experience, and your perspective with us today. You know, I love you so much and I really appreciate you being here.

00:34:07:02 – 00:34:33:09
Sommer Carrol
Thank you. And I just wanted to say one quick other story about this patient that came in recently. And he’s come in as a new patient. He’s had, I guess, two appointments like one for his consultation. One first records his surgery scheduled on Monday. And so, he’s been seeing an assistant named Taylor, and she’s going to be out on Monday for her son’s something at school.

00:34:33:09 – 00:34:48:09
Sommer Carrol
And anyway, so I called him to talk to him about his surgery, and I said, but Taylor’s not going to be here. And I just wanted to review a few things with you. And he goes, well, I’m not coming in if Taylor’s not going to be there. And I was like, no, no, we’re going to take great care of you.

00:34:48:09 – 00:35:04:14
Sommer Carrol
I said, Shannon and I are going to be here to take care of you. We both worked with Doctor Muskie for over 20 years. Yeah, we’re going to take great care of you. And he goes, oh, man. So you mean I got to come in there and a couple of old broads are going to take care of.

00:35:04:15 – 00:35:15:10
Sommer Carrol
So anyway, so we we had a great conversation on the phone and and I told him, I said, oh, we’re going to have fun with you on Monday morning.

00:35:15:12 – 00:35:18:14
Sara Hansen
Is that this coming Monday or did you see him already?

00:35:18:15 – 00:35:29:23
Sommer Carrol
Oh no. No. Yeah. This coming Monday. Monday. I’m so, so Shannon and I have already planned on Monday morning. We’re going to go out there and tell him the old broads are here to I.

00:35:30:00 – 00:35:49:22
Sara Hansen
That’s why he’s going to say. Yeah, create some name tags that says Old broad on it. Hey, we’re here to have fun. I love that. But again, you know, it’s it’s not about the dentistry, right? It’s about that relationship that the patient has with Taylor. And then I love how you were able to pivot and have fun with him when he called you an old broad.

00:35:50:03 – 00:36:16:17
Sommer Carrol
Yeah. Yeah. So you know, but he said I trust y’all. Everything, all the experiences I’ve had from the from the coming in the office, from calling the office. Yeah. Visiting with Taylor, the doctor, he’s like, I feel 100% confident. And if you’re going to take you say you’re going to take great care of me, I trust you, you know, you really haven’t done anything on him except for records and impressions and scans and digital scans, you know, all those kind of things.

00:36:16:17 – 00:36:37:00
Sommer Carrol
But as far as the dentistry hasn’t even begun, and he’s already singing our praises. And so, you know, I just I feel like that’s, you know, that’s why I do this every day. That’s why so long people are like, how long are you going to be doing this? And I’m like, I’m going to be long doing it as long as I can, I guess.

00:36:37:01 – 00:36:55:12
Sommer Carrol
I mean, I don’t, I don’t I can’t imagine doing anything else. I feel like I was blessed to come into dentistry. It happened purely by accident and I can’t imagine doing anything else. So thank you for having me and spending me and just, you know, just visiting and having a good conversation.

00:36:55:12 – 00:37:13:17
Sara Hansen
So we’re always you are a fan favorite and a favorite amongst many in the dental industry. You have helped guide so many dental assistants through your knowledge and experience. So thank you for all that you do as well, I adore you. Welcome back anytime.

00:37:13:22 – 00:37:15:03
Sommer Carrol
All right. Thank you.

00:37:15:04 – 00:37:16:10
Sara Hansen
Thanks everyone.

00:37:16:12 – 00:37:33:19
Speaker 4
Hey, thanks for joining us on Everyday Practices Dental podcast. It would mean the world to me if you could leave us a like or a review on iTunes, or go to Productive Dentist Academy through Google and leave us a review there. You know, we are here each week to talk about what’s possible when you leave your practice with clarity and courage.

00:37:33:20 – 00:37:50:19
Speaker 4
If you are ready to build a business that supports your life and not the other way around, investment grade practice coaching powered by productive, dense academy can help. Visit investment grade practice to schedule your free 60 minute coaching session so you can start designing the practice and lifestyle you’ve been dreaming about all along.