A lot of it is an assumption that patient at some point won't follow up for some reason (generally money).
So, the dentist is more likely to prioritize completeable treatment over wait and see.
Due to my mouth and jaw shape, I put a lot of pressure on two of my lower teeth. They have abfractions and they are going to crack at some point. Being north of middle aged, none of my options to change things are great (normally you'd crack the jaw and move the teeth around--kinda not great at my age).
However, I show up regularly for cleaning so she is willing to observe and monitor. I suspect that if I weren't a reliable, recurring patient, she'd probably press me to do something about them.
So, the dentist is more likely to prioritize completeable treatment over wait and see.
Due to my mouth and jaw shape, I put a lot of pressure on two of my lower teeth. They have abfractions and they are going to crack at some point. Being north of middle aged, none of my options to change things are great (normally you'd crack the jaw and move the teeth around--kinda not great at my age).
However, I show up regularly for cleaning so she is willing to observe and monitor. I suspect that if I weren't a reliable, recurring patient, she'd probably press me to do something about them.