Don't let patients dictate your treatment.

I recently had a patient that required extraction of a heavily filled lower 6. The last xray we had was a PA 2-3 years old. I told him that I would like to take a new Xray to plan the extraction. HE kicked up a big fuss about the cost of the xray. I compromised and said I would take the tooth out with the old xray. Big mistake. The crown fractured and the roots kept fracturing with elevation. The extraction would have been just as difficult with the updated xray but medicolegally I don't think I would have a good defence if things went sour. I took a PA halfway through anyway to check the progress of the extraction. It scared me because at the angle I took it, the IAN overlaid the roots. Then I realised I should have taken the xray at the start. In the future if a patient kicks up a fuss about the cost of necessary diagnostic tests I would either straight up refuse to perform the treatment or give the xray for free. It's 30 seconds work to save a lot of headache down the track. This time turned out wel but it's a lesson for me for the future.