How many hours of total team and doctor time does a medium-to-large complexity dental case actually consume?
Five to fifteen hours, depending on case size, complexity, and how many decision-makers are involved. The visible hours, the consultation visit, the diagnostic visit, the case presentation, and the procedure itself, are only part of the total. Add the phone work for the initial inquiry and follow-up calls. Add the team time to prepare and mail the information packet. Add the staff time to handle the consultation visit’s surrounding activities. Add the doctor’s hours of treatment planning between the diagnostic and the case presentation. Add the team time to prepare presentation materials, financing options, and any imaging or model work. Add the post-presentation administrative work to schedule and prepare for the first treatment visit. Each piece is modest in isolation. Together they accumulate. Most doctors underestimate the total by half. When the full math is applied against the operational cost per hour, the importance of qualifying steps becomes obvious. Every unqualified patient who reaches the case presentation costs the practice five to fifteen real hours.
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.