Sandy Pardue, Consultant/Classic Practice Resources
Sandy Pardue, Consultant/Classic Practice Resources
Sandy Pardue of Classic Practice Resources & Dana Pardue discuss issues facing the dental practice owner of today.
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Sandy Pardue
Sandy Pardue

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How Much Dental Production Is Sitting in Your Unscheduled Treatment Report?

How Much Dental Production Is Sitting in Your Unscheduled Treatment Report?

10/13/2026 5:18:00 AM   |   Comments: 0   |   Views: 112


It's October. Your dental practice has three months left to reach its 2026 production goals, and the pressure is starting to build.

Maybe the schedule has openings. Maybe patients are postponing treatment. Maybe your team is hearing the same objections about insurance, finances, and the holidays.

The natural reaction is to start looking for more patients.

But what if some of your biggest opportunities are already sitting in your practice management software?

In a recent episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy Pardue and I discussed how dental practices can finish the year stronger by identifying missed opportunities, reconnecting with patients, and making better use of the systems they already have.

And the numbers might surprise you.

The Report Every Dental Practice Should Pull Before Year End

Sandy has spent decades working with dental practices, and one of the first things she recommends is pulling an unscheduled treatment report.

Not just last month's report. Look at treatment diagnosed over the past 12 months that patients have never scheduled.

Some practices may discover hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding recommended treatment.

These aren't strangers who need to be convinced to choose your practice. They're patients who already know your team, have received a diagnosis, and have a reason to return.

Yet somewhere between the treatment presentation and the patient's next appointment, the process stopped.

That's where practice systems matter.

What Would $60,000 in Additional Production Look Like?

Consider this example.

Your team identifies 100 patients with outstanding recommended treatment. After reaching out, 20 schedule appointments averaging $3,000 in adjusted production.

20 patients × $3,000 = $60,000 in potential additional production.

That's not a guarantee, and it doesn't mean every practice has $60,000 waiting to be collected. But it illustrates why reviewing existing treatment opportunities deserves attention before investing more money in acquiring new patients.

It also raises an important question:

How much production is your practice missing simply because no one followed up?

Your Patient Follow Up System May Be the Real Problem

Sandy made an important point during our conversation: Unscheduled treatment is often the result of a system that failed much earlier.

What happens when a patient receives a treatment plan but leaves without scheduling?

Does someone take responsibility for following up? Does the team know what to say? Is there a defined timeline? Are attempts documented?

Or does the patient receive an automated text message and eventually disappear from the team's radar?

Technology is helpful, but it cannot replace every personal conversation.

A patient considering implants, crowns, or extensive restorative treatment may have concerns about cost, timing, discomfort, or the value of treatment. A message asking, "Are you ready to schedule?" doesn't necessarily address any of those concerns.

Sometimes the most productive thing your team can do is pick up the phone, ask a thoughtful question, and listen.

And if a team member isn't comfortable making those calls, the answer may be additional training rather than assuming the employee is unwilling to do the job.

Don't Overlook the Fall Dental Insurance Letter

Another opportunity Sandy recommends is a fall insurance letter.

Many patients have remaining dental insurance benefits that may expire at the end of their plan year. Others have outstanding treatment needs but no insurance coverage.

Rather than sending the same generic message to everyone, consider two separate communications:
  • A letter reminding insured patients about recommended treatment and benefits that may be available before year end.
  • A letter reconnecting with patients without insurance who still have outstanding treatment needs.
Sandy even recommends changing the presentation with seasonal stationery and matching envelopes.

Why? Because patients receive so many automated messages that a thoughtfully prepared letter can stand out.

The goal isn't to pressure patients into treatment. It's to remind them of care they've already discussed with their dentist and make it easier to take the next step.

Finish 2026 Strong, but Fix the System for 2027

It's tempting to focus entirely on this quarter's production goal. But filling the schedule today without improving the underlying process means the same problems will return next year.

A strong dental practice needs clear responsibility for scheduling, effective treatment presentations, consistent follow up, appropriate documentation, and a team that understands how its work contributes to patient care.

And that responsibility doesn't belong exclusively to the front office.

The clinical team, administrative team, office manager, and doctor all influence whether patients understand their treatment recommendations and return for care.

When those systems work together, patients benefit and the practice becomes more predictable.

One Thing You Can Do Today

Before setting another ambitious production goal, take 15 minutes to look at what is already in front of you.

Pull your unscheduled treatment report. Find one patient who hasn't scheduled recommended care. Review the notes, pick up the phone, and have a conversation.

Then document the outcome.

It's a small action, but it can reveal a much larger opportunity.

And perhaps that's the most important lesson from this episode: Practice growth doesn't always require doing more. Sometimes it requires following through on what you've already started.

Listen to Dental Drill Bits

In this episode, Sandy and I share additional ideas for recovering missed dental production, improving patient communication, and preparing your practice for 2027.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dental-drills-bits/id1193269670

You can also find Dental Drill Bits on YouTube for full episodes, practical discussions, and shorter videos on dental practice management.

Join our Dental Drill Bits Facebook community for more resources, including sample fall insurance letters discussed in this episode.

Dental Drill Bits is hosted by Sandy Pardue and Dana Pardue and proudly supported by Identity Dental Marketing and Practice by Numbers.

Identity Dental Marketing: https://identitydental.com/

Practice by Numbers: https://practicenumbers.com/
Category: Practice Management, HR and Accounting
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