How to Increase Dental Case Acceptance: A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximize Practice Growth

Maxillo Team
Nov 14
6 min read

For a thriving dental practice, clinical excellence is only half the equation. The other half is ensuring that patients move forward with the vital, yet unscheduled, treatment you recommend. This is where dental case acceptance becomes one of the most critical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in your practice.

How to increase dental case acceptance - a step-by-step guide.

Industry benchmarks suggest that the average dental practice achieves a case acceptance rate of 50-60% for existing patients and 25-35% for new patients [5.2, 5.3]. High-performing practices, however, often reach 70-80% or even higher, demonstrating a massive opportunity for growth and improved patient health within your existing patient base [5.2].

Improving this metric is not about "selling" more dentistry; it is about better communication, patient education, and building unwavering trust. It’s about being a partner in your patients’ health journey, not just a provider of procedures.

This step-by-step guide is designed to provide you, the dentist and practice owner, with an actionable framework to elevate your case acceptance rates and, in turn, your practice’s production, profitability, and patient health outcomes.

How to Increase Dental Case Acceptance - Step 1: Cultivate an Environment of Unwavering Trust

A patient will not accept a significant treatment plan from a provider they do not trust. Trust is the foundation upon which all successful case acceptance is built [2.4].

Prioritize the Patient-Doctor Relationship: Dedicate time at the start of the appointment to connect on a personal level. Ask about their life, their general health, and their personal goals for their smile and oral health, not just their immediate dental issue [1.3]. By demonstrating genuine care, you shift the dynamic from a transactional service to a trusting partnership.
Embrace Active and Empathetic Listening: Patients often decline treatment due to underlying concerns such as fear, anxiety, or financial worry [4.1, 4.2]. Listen actively to their unspoken concerns. When they voice an objection, validate their feelings with empathy before offering a solution. For example, instead of immediately countering a cost objection, try, "I understand your concern about the investment; that's a very common consideration" [1.3].
Ensure Team Consistency: Case acceptance is a team sport. Every member, from the front desk to the dental assistant, must reinforce the doctor’s recommendations and the overall culture of trust. A consistent, professional, and compassionate patient experience across all touchpoints is essential [4.3].

How to Increase Dental Case Acceptance - Step 2: Master the Patient-Centered Case Presentation

How you present a treatment plan is as important as the plan itself. The goal is to move beyond simply listing procedures and instead present a clear, compelling vision of the patient's improved future health and quality of life.

Communicate Visually, Not Just Verbally: The use of visual aids is non-negotiable for effective case presentation [1.2]. Leverage technology like intraoral cameras, digital X-rays, and 3D imaging to show patients their condition. This moves the conversation from "what the doctor says" to "what the patient sees" [3.2]. A picture of a cracked molar or a before-and-after simulation of a smile transformation is far more impactful than jargon-heavy verbal descriptions.
Translate Jargon into Value: Avoid technical dental terminology like caries, periodontitis, or occlusion [4.1]. Instead, use simple language and relatable analogies. Focus on the benefits of the treatment:
- Feature: "You need a crown on tooth #14."
- Benefit: "This crown will prevent the tooth from fracturing, allowing you to chew comfortably for years and avoiding a painful and costly emergency root canal later" [4.3].
Keep it Focused: For patients with complex or extensive needs, presenting an overwhelming list of procedures can lead to "analysis paralysis" [4.4]. Focus the initial presentation on the 1-2 most urgent or critical treatment needs. Phasing treatment can make the overall plan more digestible and manageable for the patient [2.4].

Step 3: Proactively Address the Financial Barrier

Cost is consistently cited as the number one reason patients decline or delay treatment [1.1, 4.1]. To overcome this, your practice must have a transparent, proactive, and flexible financial conversation.

Be Transparent and Clear: The financial discussion should be a standard, no-surprise component of the presentation, often handled by a trained Dental Treatment Coordinator (TC) after the clinical explanation [4.3]. Provide a detailed, written estimate that clearly breaks down costs, insurance coverage estimates, and the patient’s out-of-pocket responsibility [1.2].
Offer Flexible Payment Solutions: Simply accepting insurance is not enough. You must offer a variety of financing options to make treatment financially accessible [2.3]:
- Third-party patient financing (e.g., CareCredit)
- In-house payment plans for smaller balances
- Discounts for paying in full upfront [2.3]
- Affordable in-house membership plans for uninsured patients
Emphasize Long-Term Savings: Frame the investment not just in terms of current cost, but as an insurance policy against future, more expensive problems. For example, delaying a crown can lead to a root canal or a more costly restoration [4.4].

Step 4: Systematize the Unscheduled Treatment Follow-Up

Even with a perfect presentation, a patient may need time to process, consult with a spouse, or review their finances. The period immediately after the appointment is a critical window for follow-up [1.2, 4.3]. Practices with low case acceptance rates often lack a consistent, persistent, yet non-pushy follow-up system.

The Treatment Coordinator (TC) Role: Your TC is the linchpin of this step. They should follow up with patients who left without scheduling, acting as a resource to answer lingering questions, address new concerns, and help finalize financial arrangements. This follow-up should be personalized, empathetic, and documented.
Leverage AI for Automated Follow-Up: This is one of the most significant modern advancements in increasing case acceptance. While a human TC is invaluable for complex conversations, they cannot manually track and personally reach out to every unscheduled patient indefinitely.
- AI platforms are available to help assist TCs follow up with unscheduled treatment. These software solutions integrate with your practice management system to identify patients with presented but unaccepted treatment plans.
- The AI can then initiate a personalized, automated outreach sequence via email or text message, reminding the patient of their recommended treatment, reiterating the long-term health benefits, and providing an easy call-to-action to schedule or connect with the TC.
- This automated persistence ensures no case falls through the cracks, allowing your human TC to focus their time on high-value, complex cases that require a personal touch and skillful negotiation [3.4]. Research shows that a significant number of case acceptances occur after the patient has left the practice, sometimes 30 or more days later, underscoring the necessity of persistent follow-up [5.1].

All-in-One AI Dental Front Office Demo

30min

Book Now

Step 5: Measure, Train, and Refine Your Process

A high-performing practice never assumes its system is perfect; it uses data to drive continuous improvement.

Track Your Case Acceptance Rate: To improve, you must first measure. Calculate your acceptance rate by dollar value (total value of accepted treatment / total value of presented treatment) and by patient (number of patients who scheduled at least one procedure / total number of patients presented with a plan) [5.2]. Track this month-over-month and by doctor and TC to identify your current baseline and areas for improvement.
Conduct Team Training and Role-Playing: Case presentation is a skill that must be honed. Conduct regular team meetings where the doctor, hygienists, and TCs role-play presenting different types of cases, from a single crown to full-mouth restoration. This builds confidence, consistency, and ensures the entire team is aligned on messaging [1.3].
Solicit and Act on Patient Feedback: Use patient surveys or one-on-one conversations to understand why patients may have declined treatment. Was it communication? Cost? Fear? Use this feedback to refine your presentation scripts, financial options, and office environment [4.3].

Conclusion

Increasing your dental case acceptance rate is a profound win-win: it secures the health and longevity of your patients while strengthening the financial health of your practice. By intentionally focusing on building trust, delivering visually compelling presentations, compassionately addressing financial concerns, and leveraging modern technology like AI for follow-up, you can systematically move your practice from average to high-performing. This commitment to a patient-centered system is the true secret to unlocking your practice’s full potential.