Understanding Your Metrics for A More Profitable Practice: Treatment Presented
Oct 22, 2025
Is your dental office schedule looking a little sparse? You've told your team to get busy filling it, but they keep telling you there's just "nothing to schedule." Before you jump to conclusions about your team's effectiveness, there’s a vital, often-overlooked metric you need to review: Treatment Presented.
What is Treatment Presented?
Treatment Presented is simply the total value or number of treatment procedures that you formally recommend and present to your patients per month.
It's not just the list of diagnosed issues; it's the official, structured treatment plan that is given to the patient for consideration. This number represents your pipeline for future production.
Why Does This Metric Matter?
The amount of treatment you present is a leading indicator of future production.
The reason this number is critical is that if your schedule is light, and your team is struggling to fill it, the underlying issue might be a lack of available treatment to schedule. Your team can't book what hasn't been diagnosed and presented.
If you haven't presented enough treatment in the preceding weeks, then your schedule will inevitably be light.
How to Track and Benchmark
Tracking this metric is straightforward and essential for monitoring the health of your practice's production pipeline.
- Tracking: You should track the total dollar amount of treatment that is entered into the system and presented to patients each month. Some practice management software has built-in reports for this.
- Benchmarking: While benchmarks can vary by specialty and location, a common goal is to have your total Treatment Presented be significantly higher than your Production goal (often 2-3x higher). This ratio accounts for patients who defer treatfment, complete small portions at a time, or never accept the plan. A healthy, high-quality pipeline ensures your production targets can be met.
How to Improve Treatment Presented
Improving this metric starts with the doctor's mindset and a commitment to comprehensive care. We are, of course, not saying to start making up things patients need. We are saying: be thorough and confident in diagnosing what patients do need.
1. Adopt a Comprehensive Exam Mindset
Look at the patients you have on your schedule, especially new patients. Are you doing limited exams or are you consistently performing comprehensive exams? A comprehensive approach ensures you uncover a full picture which will leader to more treatment.
2. Overcome Mindset Barriers
One of the biggest things we see is doctors who do not want to state the best treatment due to a fear of rejection or concern over a patient's finances. It does not matter if you are a new doctor, if you recently bought a practice, or if you think the patient won't go for treatment. You must recommend the best treatment with confidence.
3. Stick to the Best Recommendation
Confusion leads to inaction. When you give the patient multiple options, such as a lesser, less-ideal option (like a large restoration) instead of the necessary definitive treatment (like a crown), the patient becomes confused.
- Remember: They do not understand dentistry like you do, and they are looking to be guided.
- Your Role: Stick to your role as the doctor. It is your job to diagnose what you see clinically and then present the ideal treatment based on that information.
When you are confident in your recommendations, patients will schedule. If you backpedal or present a lesser option, it makes both you and your team look silly (especially if the hygienist has already prepped them for the best-case scenario), breaks trust, and confusing patients often makes them decide maybe they don't need any treatment at all.
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