What patterns in a dental practice’s treatment plans suggest unfinished work?
Look for plans that were proposed but never booked, patients who started care and then stopped, and large plans that sit unscheduled. A pile of unfinished work can mean future income, or a sign that patients are not following through.
Ask the owner for a report of treatment plans by status: accepted and finished, accepted and in progress, proposed but not accepted. The count and age of each group tells a story. A large pile of old unaccepted plans may mean cost worries or weak follow-up.
Look for stalled care. Patients who began a multi-visit plan and then disappeared raise questions. Did they move on, or were they unhappy? Ask how the practice contacts people who have not returned.
Check for obligations. If patients prepaid or if work was started, the next owner may be expected to finish it. Ask how deposits are tracked and who covers remaining care. Think about the cause. A team that is slow to book follow-up visits, a shortage of appointments or a dentist who proposes more than patients will accept can each produce this pattern. Ask your accountant to read the numbers with you, and talk to the dentist about the story behind them. Do not treat unfinished plans as guaranteed future income. Ask for examples, with names removed, so you can see how plans are written and followed up. Notes about patient hesitation, cost, or scheduling help you understand why plans stall, and whether the practice has a habit worth keeping or one worth changing.
Key takeaways
- Request treatment plans grouped by status and age.
- Ask what happens to patients who start care and stop.
- Do not count unfinished plans as certain future income.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
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