Dental clinics
In dentistry, patients rarely slip away on the first call. They slip away later — between the consultation and the first payment on the treatment plan, when the decision gets postponed and the clinic goes quiet. I find those gaps and set up the front desk so the decision doesn't get lost along the way.
Why the dental patient journey is different
A scale and polish or a filling sells quickly. Implants, prosthetics, orthodontics and full-mouth rehabilitation are another matter: the plan is expensive, the decision is rarely made on the spot, and it's often talked over with the family. The patient comes in, gets a plan and leaves to 'think it over'. This is usually where a clinic loses the most money — not in advertising, but in the silence after the consultation.
What patients ask before they book
- How much it costs — before any examination, by phone or messenger.
- Whether there are before-and-after photos, and who exactly will treat them.
- Whether they can pay in instalments or stage by stage.
- Why the plan differs from the one another clinic offered.
If the front desk answers curtly, late, or with 'come in for a consultation and they'll tell you everything', the patient goes wherever they got a clear answer first.
Where patients usually get lost
The front desk replies to the enquiry but doesn't carry it forward. Nobody records why the patient didn't accept the plan. There's no follow-up, or it comes down to a single 'so, have you decided?' call. A patient who left for a second opinion is written off, though they're still comparing. People booked for a consultation don't turn up because nobody reminded them.
What I change first
- Speed of the first reply to calls and messages, including evenings and weekends. Read more: a fast first reply and calling back missed calls.
- A script for the price question: a rough guide, what the cost depends on, and a clear reason to come in for a consultation. Read more: the first-call script.
- The treatment-plan conversation after the consultation: who explains the stages, options and payment, and when the next contact happens. Read more: a clear treatment plan.
- A follow-up system for undecided patients, with the reason for declining logged in the CRM. Read more: follow-up after the consultation.
- Appointment confirmations, so fewer patients fail to turn up. Read more: confirming and rebooking.
Since 2022 I have personally taken patients from enquiry to payment — more than 100 of them — so I know how much doubt comes before paying for an expensive treatment plan.
Where to start: a free express check
The first step costs nothing. I contact your clinic 3–5 times as a patient with a typical question — about an implant, for example — by phone, on WhatsApp and on Instagram. The findings fit on one page, and we go through them on a 30-minute call. If you'd like to run a check like this yourself, see the article on the mystery patient.
The next steps — the audit, implementation and the retainer — come only if the check shows they are needed; prices are below. The audit counts the enquiry → booking → visit → payment funnel, and you can estimate it yourself first: the clinic funnel in one evening.
While places remain in the pilot for three clinics, the express check and the audit are free for its participants, and implementation costs €450 instead of €900. See how many places are left on the home page.
To start, leave your phone number in the express-check request and I'll message you on WhatsApp or call. You can estimate your losses with the calculator or run a quick self-check.
Where the money is lost
Price with no context
Asked 'how much is an implant?', the front desk either quotes a figure or refuses to answer. Either way, the patient compares on price alone and goes to whoever is cheaper or explained things more clearly.
A treatment plan with no next step
The patient got the plan and went off to think. Nobody set a date for the next contact, and in the end they make their decision at another clinic.
No follow-up
Patients who didn't say yes straight away get no call or message, or just one. The reason they declined isn't recorded anywhere, so nobody knows what to offer them.
Payment questions left hanging
The patient wants to know whether treatment can be split into stages or paid in instalments. If the answer is vague or only the dentist can give it, the conversation gets put off.
Consultation no-shows
The booking is there; the patient isn't. Without a confirmation the day before and clear information about the visit, some bookings simply fall through.
A second opinion treated as a no
The patient says they want to check with another clinic, and the front desk lets them go. That is exactly the moment to explain how your plan differs and when you'll be in touch again.
Four steps and the next one
We start with the free check. Each next step comes only if the previous one showed it’s needed.
Express front-desk checkFree
A free check of how your clinic answers patients: I contact the clinic 3–5 times as a patient — by phone, on WhatsApp and on Instagram. The findings fit on one page, and we go through them on a 30-minute call.
€0Front-desk audit
The front-desk audit costs €300: I review a month of your clinic's calls and chats and build the enquiry → booking → visit → payment funnel. You see at which step and with which administrator patients are lost, and you get a report with a plan of fixes.
€300Implementation of front-desk standards
Implementation of front-desk standards costs €900: I write scripts for your front desk, set up enquiry tracking and call recording, and train your administrators. About 3 weeks later I run a repeat check to see what has stuck and compare the funnel with the starting figures.
€900Retainer: front-desk control
The front-desk control retainer costs from €500 a month: every month I contact your clinic as a mystery patient, listen to a sample of calls and send you a report. We go through it on a call, and you see whether the front desk is holding the standard after implementation.
from €500/month
Questions and answers
We already book almost everyone who calls. What would an audit show?
In dentistry the biggest losses usually aren't at the booking stage but after the consultation: between the treatment plan and the first payment. The audit shows what happens to the patient in that stretch, who contacts them and what they're told. It often turns out that nobody owns this stage.
Will you get involved in the dentists' work?
No. The clinical side of the plan is explained by the dentist, and I don't touch it. I work on everything around it: how the front desk prepares the patient for the consultation, who explains the stages and payment afterwards, and when and how the clinic gets back to a patient who hasn't decided yet.
Do we need a new CRM or new front-desk staff?
As a rule, no. I start with what you already have: your team, phone system, messengers, spreadsheets or CRM. I change the scripts, who is responsible for what, and how it's monitored. If a tool is genuinely missing, I'll say so at the review and explain why. For example, if calls aren't recorded, implementation includes IP telephony with call recording. The stages of the work are described on the services page.
How much does working with you cost?
The express check is free. The front-desk audit costs €300, implementation of front-desk standards €900, the front-desk control retainer from €500 a month and launching the international patient flow from €1,500. Each next step comes only if the previous one showed it is needed.
Do you meet clinics in person?
Yes. I work in Chișinău: I meet clinic owners in person and run the checks and calls remotely.