What defines the high-volume McDonald dental practice model in real operational terms?
A 900-procedure-per-year throughput model with high-speed handpieces running in both hands, fueled by big hygiene departments, referral flow, and new-mover radius mailers offering free bleaching. Watchwords are high efficiency, high overhead, high speed delivery. Production sits at $300 to $600 per hour with overhead at 65 to 85 percent. The model is straightforward to implement and dozens of consultants will help any practice get there. The upside is the simplicity. The model can be expanded across multiple locations with the owner dentist employing associate dentists to handle the volume drill-and-fill work. The downside is a high burn rate on multiple fronts: facility and equipment wear, staff stress and turnover, doctor physical and mental fatigue. Marketing happens largely by default through being a contracted insurance provider, where the contractual fee reduction functions as the practice’s cost of customer acquisition. For specialists, the model means cultivating referrals from every nearby generalist regardless of clinical quality. The model produces a viable practice. It also produces a tired practice with limited upside.
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.
