What should the clinical step at a case start appointment be?
Make it the least invasive thing you can possibly do. The case start appointment is loaded with administrative work, the final financial arrangements, the refund agreement, the surprise documents, so the clinical piece should be tiny. A photograph counts. The patient comes to the chair, you do something with zero potential for pain, and you move on. That’s it. The point isn’t the procedure, it’s that the case has officially started, the patient is in motion, and the moment is marked. Then you turn to everything else that matters at this visit. People overthink this and want a dramatic first clinical move, but a painful or complicated start at this appointment works against you when the patient is still settling into a big decision. Keep it gentle, keep it short, and protect the appointment for the work that actually locks the case in.
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.