The Cost of Instant Gratification: A Practitioner’s Perspective on the Current State of Healthcare
In the middle of a regular weekday, I found myself reflecting on something that has become increasingly hard to ignore.
There’s been a shift - not just in orthodontics, but across dentistry and healthcare at large.
Patients today often come in with high expectations. That in itself isn’t new. But what is new is the nature of those expectations: immediate, sometimes clinically unrealistic, and often shaped by what they’ve seen online. More and more, people want results that are fast, flawless, and affordable - even when those desires don't quite align with science or reality.
This isn't a critique of patients. It’s a commentary on the cultural shift we’re all navigating.
We live in a time of instant gratification. Two-day shipping. Before-and-after transformations that skip the journey in between. Filtered content that makes perfection seem routine. And the result is a growing disconnect between what healthcare actually requires and what many now expect it to be.
Orthodontics Isn’t Amazon Prime
Orthodontic treatment is a biological process. It involves careful planning, time, and individualized strategy. Teeth don’t move overnight. Bone remodeling can’t be rushed. Every adjustment is a calculated step toward long-term health and function, not just aesthetics.
Yet today, there's a widespread desire for “Amazon Prime” results. Fast, flawless, and inexpensive. When those expectations aren't met no matter how clinically successful a case may be, it can lead to significant frustration on the patient’s end. Unfortunately, that frustration often gets directed toward the provider.
Negative online reviews. Social media complaints. Misleading portrayals of the practice. These things can happen even when we’ve poured our skill, ethics, and care into a case.
Healthcare Results Require More Than Speed
Whether it’s orthodontics, general dentistry, dermatology, or any branch of medicine, meaningful outcomes require:
Time
Clinical expertise
Mutual trust between patient and provider
This is not just a cosmetic service. It's your health. Your face. Your smile. And it cannot be mass-produced or expedited like an online order.
A Broader Shift in the Healthcare Landscape
This shift in patient perception isn't limited to orthodontics. It echoes across the entire healthcare system.
Primary care providers are being pressured into quick fixes. Mental health professionals are expected to undo years of trauma in a few short sessions. Surgeons and aesthetic specialists are asked for red-carpet results with zero downtime.
Healthcare has become part of the instant gratification economy, and that’s a problem.
For providers who entered this field with a heart for helping others, the current climate can be disheartening. We're navigating not just the complexities of treatment, but also the weight of expectations set by algorithms, trends, and marketing - not by medicine.
What Can Be Done?
We need to return to education, communication, and boundaries.
Healthcare providers must continue educating patients about what’s realistic, sustainable, and safe. We must communicate openly about timelines, trade-offs, and outcomes. And we must hold boundaries, even when it’s uncomfortable.
It’s okay to say, “No, that’s not in your best interest,” even when a patient asks for it.
We can lead with empathy while remaining grounded in evidence. We can be supportive without being subservient to unrealistic demands. We can offer excellent care, not just fast service.
If you're a fellow provider feeling the weight of this shift, you’re not alone. This moment is asking a lot of us, not just our clinical skills, but our patience, resilience, and professionalism.
And if you’re a patient trying to navigate the overwhelming sea of healthcare information and expectations, I encourage you to ask questions. Seek understanding. Allow space for the process.
True transformation doesn’t happen in 48 hours. It happens when both patient and provider are committed, informed, and working together.
