Written by: Ryan Dunlop, CEO and Founder of Full Arch Masters and graduate from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine | Last updated: July 15, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Full-arch implant cases can close at 80% when your team follows a repeatable four-step system instead of a single conversation.
- Showing CBCT images and smile previews before any cost discussion removes uncertainty and supports more same-day decisions.
- Presenting financing as a monthly investment first, with a three-tier menu, reframes cost and makes the total fee feel more manageable.
- A scripted doctor-TC handoff keeps clinical and financial roles separate, which improves patient experience and conversion metrics.
- Implement the full workflow with training from the Full Arch Masters Treatment Coordinator Bootcamp to move your practice from average to 80% case acceptance.
The Four-Step Closing Workflow for Full-Arch Cases
Most practices close only 30-50% of full-arch consultations because they treat closing as a single event instead of a repeatable system. The FAM Method breaks that system into four steps: visualize urgency, reframe cost as a daily investment, execute the doctor-TC handoff, and run a 60-90 day nurture cadence. Each step has a clear owner, a simple script, and a metric to track. Together these steps support the 80% close rate maintained by Full Arch Masters’ in-house TC, which is the same system taught in the Treatment Coordinator Bootcamp.
Show CBCT and Smile Previews to Create Urgency
Patients rarely decline full-arch treatment because they doubt clinical need; they decline because the problem feels abstract. Patients do not say no to treatment; they say no to uncertainty. Make the problem visible before any discussion of cost. Display the CBCT in three-dimensional rotation during the consult so the patient can see bone availability and implant placement. Real-time 3D CBCT visualization helps patients understand their situation and supports higher case acceptance because they can rotate the mandible view and see bone levels instead of nodding at flat gray images.
This visual clarity becomes even more powerful when you pair the scan with a same-day smile preview. Three-dimensional smile mockups improve patient understanding compared with 2D mockups and give patients a concrete before-and-after that makes the investment feel real.
Use this script at the imaging moment:
“What you are seeing here in red is where your bone has already resorbed. The good news is there is enough bone right now to place implants without grafting. If we wait six months, that window closes and we are looking at an additional procedure and cost. Your bone is ready today.”
Metric: Track the percentage of consultations where CBCT visualization and a smile preview both occur before any financial discussion. Target 100%. If same-day acceptance is below 30%, audit whether visualization happens before or after the fee is introduced.
Reframe Cost as a Manageable Monthly Investment
Presenting a $42,000 full-arch case as a lump sum creates instant sticker shock. Practices that present financing comfort first and reveal the case total in the context of an already-accepted monthly payment see higher same-day closes for seated full-arch cases. The TC should anchor the patient to a monthly figure before stating the total fee, using a three-tier payment menu that reframes the decision as “which payment fits my life” instead of “can I afford this.”
Use this script at the financial handoff:
“Most of our full-arch patients invest between $380 and $640 per month depending on which financing path makes the most sense for their situation. We work with several lenders so we can find the right fit. Before I show you the total, let me pull up three options so you can see what this looks like on a monthly basis.”
The three tiers below show how the same $42,000 case translates into very different monthly commitments. The goal is to give patients a choice that feels manageable instead of a single intimidating number:
- Longest term / lowest monthly: approximately $328 per month over 84 months
- Middle path: approximately $452 per month over 60 months
- Fastest payoff: approximately $612 per month over 48 months
Practices that adopt a monthly-first TC script often see treatment plan close rates improve. To deliver on the promise of finding the right fit, you need multiple lenders in your stack. Practices that route applications through several lenders achieve higher patient approval rates. Pair a prime lender (CareCredit or LendingClub) with a high-approval secondary option (Sunbit or Cherry) and a high-ticket partner (Proceed Finance, which offers loans up to $75,000) for cases above $20,000.
Metric: Track financing application rate as a percentage of consultations. Practices with sub-6% financing utilization have a structural conversion ceiling that no amount of clinical skill will overcome. Target more than 6% of all consultations resulting in a financing application submitted.
Use a Clean Doctor-to-TC Handoff
The handoff is the highest-leverage moment in the consultation. A brief surgeon appearance to confirm diagnosis and frame clinical urgency can drive more same-day signed revenue for implant practices. The doctor confirms clinical findings, validates the plan, and frames timing, then hands the financial conversation entirely to the TC. This separation keeps the clinical relationship clean and removes the awkwardness of a dentist negotiating their own fees.
Use this handoff script in the operatory, with the TC present:
“Based on everything we have reviewed today, your CBCT, your bone levels, your goals, you are an excellent candidate and your bone is ready right now. I have asked [TC Name] to walk you through the investment and the financing options we have available. She handles this every day and will make sure you have everything you need to move forward. I will check back in before you leave.”
The TC then opens by positioning as an advocate, not a salesperson: “My job is to make sure this is financially workable for you. Let us figure out what that looks like.”
Metric: Track same-day decision rate, which means signed treatment or deposit collected before the patient leaves, separately from 90-day close rate. Patients who sign full-arch treatment the same day are more likely to complete treatment. Patients who leave without signing are less likely to close even when nurtured. Target a same-day decision rate above 45%.
Run a 60-90 Day Nurture Cadence for Undecided Patients
Patients who leave undecided are still in a decision cycle, not a dead lead. Full-arch implant prospects often need more time because the decision involves cost, surgery, recovery, financing, partner alignment, and fear. A structured nurture sequence helps recover many of those consultations.
The cadence below alternates between personal touchpoints, such as video and phone calls, and educational content, such as financing options and testimonials. This pattern keeps the conversation warm without feeling pushy:
- Day 1: Surgeon video email, personal 60-90 seconds, referencing the patient’s specific case
- Day 3: TC phone call, “I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed from our conversation”
- Day 7: Financing options email with three monthly payment tiers and lender links
- Day 14: Patient testimonial video from a real patient in a similar situation
- Day 30: TC check-in call, “Has anything changed since we last spoke?”
- Day 60: TC call with a financing incentive, such as a seasonal promotion or lender campaign hook
- Day 90: Final outreach with an open invitation, no pressure, and a clear next step
Use this script for the Day 3 TC call:
“Hi [Patient Name], this is [TC Name] from [Practice]. I just wanted to follow up from your visit. Dr. [Name] mentioned you were a great candidate and I wanted to make sure you did not have any questions I could answer. A lot of patients have questions about the financing that come up after they leave. Is there anything I can help clarify?”
Metric: Track 90-day close rate as a separate KPI from same-day close rate. Sixty percent of patients who eventually accept high-value dental treatment do so after the third follow-up contact. Target a 90-day close rate of 60% or higher on all consultations not closed same-day.
Use an Objection Matrix During Consults
A small set of objections accounts for most lost full-arch consultations. Prepare scripts for the three most common objections and keep them consistent across the team.
“I need to think about it.”
“Absolutely, this is a big decision and I want you to feel confident. If you could wave a magic wand and remove one concern from this conversation, what would it be?” Then surface the real objection, usually financing or fear, and address it directly before the patient leaves.
“The cost is more than I expected.”
“I hear that. Let me show you what this looks like on a monthly basis. Most patients feel surprised by how manageable it is when we spread it out. Which of these three payment options feels closest to what works for your budget?”
“I want to get a second opinion.”
“That makes complete sense for a decision this size. When you compare other practices, here are three things worth reviewing: how many full-arch cases they have completed, which implant systems they use, and whether they offer the same financing flexibility. I will book a follow-up call for seven days from now so I can answer any questions that come up.”
Track Four Core Metrics on a Simple Dashboard
A simple four-metric dashboard gives the TC and dentist weekly visibility into where cases are being lost. These four metrics together show whether the bottleneck sits at the consultation itself, through same-day decision rate, or in the follow-up process, through 90-day close rate, and which objection type causes the most drop-off.
- Consults logged: Total full-arch consultations seated per week
- Same-day decision rate: Percentage signing or depositing before leaving, with a target of more than 45%
- 90-day close rate: Percentage of non-same-day consults closed within 90 days, with a target of more than 60%
- Decline reason log: Categorized by objection type, such as cost, spouse, second opinion, or fear, to identify the most common drop-off and adjust scripts
Practices should track case acceptance by provider, case size, and treatment type every 30 days instead of relying on a single blended rate. Review the dashboard weekly in a 15-minute TC-dentist huddle.
Implementation Tools for the Four-Step Workflow
The vendor-neutral tools below help your team run the four-step workflow consistently from first contact through follow-up.
- Pre-consult checklist: CBCT scheduled, smile preview software queued, financing pre-qualification widget embedded in the booking flow, and both decision-makers, usually spouses, confirmed for the appointment
- Role map: Dentist owns visualization and urgency framing. TC owns financing presentation, objection handling, and nurture cadence. Front desk owns lead response, with a target of under 10 minutes from inquiry to contact.
- Handoff protocol: Doctor states handoff language in the operatory with the TC present. TC opens with advocate framing. Doctor returns before the patient leaves to reinforce clinical confidence.
- Nurture sequence trigger: Any consultation that does not result in a same-day signed treatment plan or deposit automatically enters the seven-touch 90-day sequence within 24 hours.
Common Challenges and Troubleshooting
Low same-day decision rate, below 30%. This problem usually comes from one of three causes. Visualization happens after the fee is introduced instead of before. The TC is not present during the doctor’s clinical presentation. Financing is offered as a rescue after the patient objects instead of as a standard opening. Fix this by auditing the consultation sequence against the four-step workflow. Confirm that CBCT visualization comes before any cost discussion, that the TC is in the room for the handoff, and that the monthly-payment anchor is the first financial figure the patient hears.
Stalled follow-up, cases going cold after Day 3. This pattern usually reflects a follow-up process that depends on memory instead of a documented cadence. Many practices lack a written follow-up sequence, yet a substantial number of patients who decline at point of care would accept if contacted with structured follow-up. Fix this by assigning every undecided consultation to the seven-touch cadence in the CRM on the day of the consult. The TC reviews the follow-up queue every morning as a non-negotiable task.
TC closing below 35% consistently. This issue often indicates script knowledge without script internalization. TCs who internalize the script tend to close more full-arch consultations than those who rely strictly on written scripts. Fix this with weekly recorded-call reviews where the TC and dentist dissect one signed and one lost consultation together. This practice can produce about 100 documented process improvements over 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a realistic timeline to move from a 35% close rate to 80%?
Most practices see measurable improvement within the first 60 days of using the financing-first script and the doctor-TC handoff protocol. Same-day decision rates often climb 10 to 15 points within that window. Reaching and sustaining 80% requires the full four-step system to run smoothly, with visualization tools in place, a multi-lender financing stack active, a trained TC running the handoff, and the 90-day nurture cadence documented and triggered automatically. The Full Arch Masters Treatment Coordinator Bootcamp is a two-day course built to compress that learning curve, and the in-house TC who teaches it maintains an 80% close rate in active practice.
Does the dentist need to be present during the financial conversation?
No. The dentist’s presence during the financial conversation usually hurts more than it helps. The doctor focuses on a short appearance to confirm clinical urgency and frame timing, then hands off cleanly to the TC. As explained in the handoff section, separating clinical and financial roles protects the doctor-patient relationship. The doctor returns before the patient leaves to reinforce clinical confidence, but the financial close belongs to the TC.
How many financing partners does a practice need?
Most practices need at least two partners, and three works even better. A prime lender, such as CareCredit or LendingClub, covers patients with strong credit and offers brand recognition. A high-approval secondary option, such as Sunbit or Cherry, covers patients who do not qualify for prime terms. A high-ticket partner, such as Proceed Finance, which offers loans up to $75,000 with terms up to 96 months, handles full-arch cases above $20,000 where standard lender caps create a barrier. As noted earlier, multi-lender practices achieve higher approval rates. The real bottleneck is how consistently the TC presents financing as a standard opening instead of a last resort.
What staffing is required to run this system?
One dedicated TC is the minimum viable staffing model. The TC must own the financial conversation, the objection handling, and the entire nurture cadence. Splitting these responsibilities across front-desk staff usually degrades close rates. The Full Arch Masters Treatment Coordinator Bootcamp is designed for the TC to attend alongside the practice owner so both leave aligned on the same playbook. Practices that send the dentist to training without the TC rarely operationalize the closing system because the TC runs it every day.
How should a practice handle consultations where only one spouse attends?
Joint consultations with both spouses present close more often than single-spouse consultations because the decision objection disappears before the appointment. Fix this upstream by confirming at booking whether a spouse or partner will be involved in the decision, and if so, making their attendance a standard part of the scheduling conversation. You can say, “We find that when both partners are here, we can answer all the questions in one visit and make the most of everyone’s time.” If only one spouse attends, the TC should offer a brief follow-up call that includes the partner before the patient leaves, instead of letting the case go cold while the patient talks it over at home.
Conclusion
The gap between a 35% close rate and an 80% close rate reflects an operating system gap around the consultation, not a gap in clinical skill. Structured visualization before any cost discussion, a monthly-payment anchor that precedes the total fee, a clean doctor-TC handoff with a scripted transition, and a documented seven-touch 90-day nurture cadence together move practices from the industry average to the benchmark Full Arch Masters’ in-house TC maintains in active practice. Each step is teachable, scriptable, and measurable. Practices that reach 80% treat closing as a repeatable workflow, not a personality trait.
