Why is real dental diagnosis impossible over the phone, and why does that matter for fee quotes?
Because diagnosis requires examination, imaging, and clinical assessment that no phone call can produce. A team member who quotes a fee for a denture, an implant, or any meaningful procedure based on what the caller said on the phone is guessing. The actual procedure required may differ substantially from what the patient described. A memorable example from years of practice: a gentleman called for a denture fee. He had been relining his existing dentures for years and his vertical dimension had collapsed by eight to ten centimeters, the size of a grapefruit. No standard denture fee would have applied. Any phone quote would have been wildly wrong and either embarrassed the practice or trapped it in an unsustainable price. The patient was eventually helped with a real treatment plan after coming in for proper assessment. The lesson is universal. Phone quotes are guesses. Real diagnosis happens in person. The fee conversation follows the diagnosis, not the other way around.
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.