Should I set patient expectations before the implant consultation starts?
Yes, and it is not optional. If you don’t set the expectation for the visit, the patient sets it for you, and I promise you their version will not match what you are about to deliver. They show up imagining they leave with teeth today, or that everything is free, or that you will solve a problem you never agreed to solve. Then they feel let down, and a let-down patient does not say yes. So the first thing my front desk does is verify the patient reviewed the materials we sent and is clear on what happens today. Whatever they answer, the response is the same. Great, let me quickly review what happens today. These are behavioral guardrails. You are steering the visit before disappointment has a chance to form. Control the expectation early or the random behavior will blow up your case acceptance.
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.