Why helping patients choose their health is harder than ever — and why a new approach is necessary in 2026
For most of my career, I have believed that if patients were educated clearly and honestly, they would make the right decision for their health.
For many years, that held true.
However, as we move toward 2026, I have seen a noticeable shift. Patients have not stopped caring about their health — they have become overwhelmed by the realities of modern life. Financial pressures, rising costs of living, family responsibilities, and decision fatigue now sit in the background of almost every clinical conversation.
Patients arrive already making compromises. When dentistry enters the discussion — particularly comprehensive or long-term treatment — hesitation is no longer the exception; it is the norm.
Over decades of teaching communication to dentists, I have consistently observed the same challenges:
- Clinicians care deeply and want the best for their patients
- They explain thoroughly, often too thoroughly
- Recommendations are softened to avoid discomfort
- Objections are anticipated before they are voiced
- Patients leave uncertain, intending to “think about it”
This is not a failure of clinical skill. It is a human response to pressure.
In times of financial constraint, patients do not need more information — they need clarity, reassurance, and structure. They need to understand consequences without fear, options without overwhelm, and recommendations without feeling sold to.
For many years, I have taught dentists how to achieve this through language, pacing, and intention. When communication improves, patient outcomes improve. Patients say yes — not because they are persuaded, but because they understand.
The challenge is that communication is fragile. It is influenced by time constraints, emotional fatigue, confidence on the day, and inconsistency across the team. Even the most experienced clinician can struggle to deliver the same level of clarity in every conversation.
As dentistry moves into 2026, it has become clear that relying solely on human performance is no longer sustainable.We need systems that support ethical, patient-centred communication — systems that reduce cognitive and emotional load while improving consistency and clarity.
That realisation led to the development of a new approach: embedding communication support directly into the clinical workflow. We need a tool that captures real patient conversations, produces accurate clinical documentation, identifies areas of uncertainty or hesitation, and provides a structured communication pathway to support informed decision-making.
The intention has never been to increase production at the expense of care. The intention has always been to help more patients understand their health, their options, and the consequences of inaction — so they can make confident, informed choices.
Dentistry does not need louder explanations or harder selling.
It needs calmer, clearer, and more consistent communication.
After years of teaching these principles directly to colleagues, it became evident that this knowledge needed to be scalable, repeatable, and embedded into everyday practice. That has led us to develop TxCo. A treatment coordinator without the price tag of one! This is the role this new system now plays.
If you are interested in learning more about TXCO and how it can support your workflow, improve communication, and help patients make confident decisions about their care, please contact us for further information Momentum Management info@momentummanagement.com.au or check out the website https://txco.cloud
About Dr Toni Surace
Dr Toni Surace is a highly respected dental clinician, educator, and thought leader with decades of experience in private practice and postgraduate education. She is the owner of Momentum Management, a leading dental education and practice management consultancy, and the founder of Smile N Co, a boutique holistic dental practice focused on preventative, patient-centred care and the mouth–body connection.
Dr Toni is widely recognised for her work in ethical case acceptance, patient communication, and practice leadership, and has taught thousands of dentists how to improve patient outcomes through clearer, more confident conversations. She is also a mother of three boys and a long-standing member of Dental Innovations, bringing both professional depth and lived experience to her work.