Most dental practices spend a great deal of energy promoting the idea of regular dental visits. The idea is that regular check ups and cleanings will help insure dental health and allow us to fix a patients problems at the earliest possible time, when they are easier and less expensive to fix. In my practice we currently reach out to our patients with phone calls, emails and post cards in order to "gently remind" them that it's time to come back in for their check up and cleaning Our reminders can seem like nagging to some and as time goes on and no appointment is made, they can fall out of our recare program.
While some have chosen to switch dentists, but are too embarrassed to let us know, others are just reluctant to book their next dental appointment. They often mean to, but their just not ready and that is what they tell my office manager when she calls. Time has a way of marching on, and for some, their" brief dental vacation" can become go on for a longer duration than they originally intended.
Almost every month I see one of these returnees who come back after a two to six year absence. Unfortunately, many have confessed that they haven't seen a dentist during this period. Invariably they ask me to take care of a problem they have noticed. Once I start examining them, often they mention other problems that may be affecting them as well. Reasons given for their prolonged abscence can vary from financial troubles, difficulty finding the time, health problems, moving far away, and a change in their insurance status (changing plans or loosing their coverage).
When my AWOL patients return, I welcome them back, since I am truly glad to see them (at least usually) and I try not to scold them too strongly. Most, express an interest on getting their dental health back on the right track and follow through with an initial course of treatment. Only time will tell whether this pattern of disappearance will reoccur once their current dental problems are resolved.
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