Why is the diagnostic visit usually a break-even activity for the dental practice rather than a profit center?
Because the fee charged for the visit, while substantial, rarely covers the full cost of the doctor’s brain time, the team’s labor, the diagnostic equipment overhead, and the post-visit preparation work required to build the treatment options. The diagnostic visit produces the clinical foundation that subsequent treatment work depends on. The work involved is real: physical examination, imaging, photography, charting, occlusal evaluation, periodontal assessment, model fabrication where indicated, medical history review, and the substantial post-visit hours the doctor spends developing case options, building the case report, and preparing the case presentation materials. The cumulative cost adds up. The diagnostic fee covers the visible hour-or-so the patient is in the chair and not much more. The post-visit hours are largely uncompensated except through the eventual treatment that may or may not be accepted. The team should understand the math. The diagnostic visit is not where the practice makes money. It is where the practice qualifies the patient and builds the foundation for treatment that will produce real return only if the case is accepted.
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.
