Why should a dentist never change a dental fee after it has been quoted to a patient?
Because the practice’s reputation, regulatory standing, and online presence will pay for the mistake long after the small revenue adjustment is forgotten. A patient who hears a fee at the case presentation, agrees to it, and then later receives a higher invoice or a request to pay more will not absorb the change quietly. They feel cheated. They post reviews to that effect on every public review site they can find. Those reviews stay online indefinitely, warning away prospective patients for years. They may also file complaints with state dental boards, business regulators, or consumer protection authorities, dragging the practice into time-consuming administrative processes. The downside dwarfs any gain from the fee adjustment. The right rule is absolute: once a fee is quoted, the fee is the fee. Any exceptions need to be built into the original consent paperwork at the start, not improvised after the fact. The discipline forces accurate quoting in the first place, which is exactly what the practice wants.
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.