How do I set patient expectations after a free consult? Tell them exactly what happens next, in order, before they walk out. Vague patients get disappointed, and disappointment loses cases. So I spell out the path. The next step is a complete dental physical where I look at everything. After that I spend about a week building options. Then we sit down together to review them. Three beats, stated plainly. I also tell them up front who needs to be in the room for those visits, so nobody is surprised when I ask for a spouse to attend. Think of it [...]