This paper builds on previous work reviewing patient-centred care in dentistry and acknowledges work that has questioned the measurement and effectiveness of patient-centredness in practice. In an attempt to move the debate from rhetoric to practice and enhance the practical utility of the concept, we present a practical hierarchy of patient-centredness that may aid the practical application of patient-centred care in clinical practice by making explicit a series of stages that a dental care professional needs to move through in order to provide care that is patient-centred. The model presented is illustrated through practical examples. The various stages inherent in it are described with the aim of making clear the perhaps automatic and taken for granted assumptions that are often made by dental care professionals and patients through the course of a consultation. Our aim is to encourage dental consultations to have more open, unambiguous communication, both about the risks and benefits of courses of action and about the choices available to patients.