Should I present treatment options from biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest?
Present the largest option first, then work down to the smallest. The order changes how the patient decides, and most dentists get it backward. If you start small and build up, every step feels like an upsell and the patient braces for it. Start big and the smaller options read as a relief, a way to meet them where they are, not a push. This holds whether it’s a full-arch case worth a fortune or a single tooth. The anchor you set first is the frame everything after gets measured against, like reading a price tag before you see the discount. So lead with the ideal, complete plan. Let the patient scale themselves down if they need to, instead of you nickel-and-diming your way up.
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.