A patient was rude to your staff, and you extracted his tooth yesterday; he hasn't paid yet. Why can you NOT simply dismiss this patient right now?

You generally CAN dismiss a patient for rudeness or non-payment (with proper notice/process) — but you cannot abandon a patient with an active, unresolved treatment need (like a fresh extraction site requiring follow-up/post-op care) without arranging appropriate continuity of care; doing so right after a procedure, with no plan for needed follow-up, risks crossing into abandonment. (Being the only local in-network provider is also a recognized reason that can complicate dismissal, but the scenario here emphasizes the very recent procedure needing follow-up.)