What does a $300 dental diagnostic fee actually accomplish that a $100 fee doesn’t?
Three things. First, it qualifies the patient: people who will not pay $300 for a thorough diagnostic exam will not pay $30,000 for the treatment that follows. Second, it begins to cover the real cost of comprehensive diagnostic work: intraoral photos, study models, cosmetic simulations, joint sonography, CT scans, caries testing, occlusal studies. None of those are reimbursed under standard insurance coding. The $300 fee starts to make the work financially viable. Third, it changes the psychology of the patient who pays it: having committed real money to the diagnostic step, they are more invested in the treatment plan that follows. The downstream case-acceptance rate on patients who paid a substantial diagnostic fee is materially higher than on patients who paid a token amount.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.