Practice Case Study: From Stalled Growth to Confident Conversions
When I first stepped into this orthodontic practice, it was clear they weren’t reaching their potential. The doctor was late in his career, well-respected in the community, and the Treatment Coordinator had been with him for several years. On the surface, it looked like a solid operation. The practice sat in an affluent neighborhood of an expensive city, surrounded by five other skilled orthodontists (competition at it’s finest). Yet despite opportunity and hard work, they hadn’t met monthly or annual production goals in years.
Their numbers told the story. Annual conversion hovered around 48%, with same-day case acceptance floating at just 20%. With a comprehensive fee of $7,890, the practice needed 40 starts per month to stay on track. Instead, they were consistently falling short — on pace for $2.4 million annually against a $3 million goal.
It wasn’t a lack of patients. It was the experience.
The Shift Begins
We immediately set four goals: increase same-day case acceptance, elevate overall conversion, restructure the new patient experience, and give the TC the confidence and authority to lead.
The changes we made weren’t radical. In fact, they were surprisingly simple — the kind of pivots that feel obvious in hindsight, but only when you know exactly where to look.
But here’s the reality: We don’t know what we don’t know. That’s the power of partnering with an experienced advisor. You can confidently step into the unknown because strategy, guided support, and proven success are attached to each pivot.
We adjusted how the practice welcomed new patients, reframed the way treatment was presented, and aligned the doctor and TC to work together seamlessly. Small shifts in language, timing, and confidence created big changes in how patients experienced the consultation.
The Results
Within 90 days, same-day starts jumped from 20% to an average of 45% (with a high of 52%). Overall conversion climbed to 60%. In one month alone, the practice hit $310K in production against a $283K goal.
When we ran the numbers, the impact was undeniable. With an average contract value of $6,250, these improvements translated into an additional $187,500 in revenue in just 90 days. Annualized, that’s $750,000 — closing the $600K gap between their previous trajectory and their $3M growth goal.
The Human Side of Change
Numbers tell one part of the story. The other part — the more important part — is the TC herself.
When we began, she admitted she often felt timid in consultations. She worried about patient pushback, dreaded fee conversations, and carried the weight of her own limiting beliefs into her delivery. To her, production goals felt overwhelming and unrealistic.
But with consistent coaching, accountability, and small wins to build her confidence, she began to step into her role with excitement. She stopped fearing conversations about money and started seeing them as opportunities to guide families toward the treatment they wanted. She reported feeling proud of her ability to confidently lead the consultation, to “assume the start,” and to celebrate each success as proof that she could grow into bigger wins.
That’s the reality of change. It isn’t always smooth. There’s natural resistance to trying new approaches, especially when you’ve been doing things the same way for years. But with support, consistency, and the right strategy, resistance gives way to growth.
Modernizing Beyond Conversion
Conversion wasn’t the only win. The practice also modernized in ways that streamlined operations and aligned with consumer expectations:
- Built remote monitoring into the standard of care
- Implemented automated follow-up sequences for pending patients
- Empowered the TC to sign contracts instead of handing off to the front desk
- Outsourced new patient calls and scheduling for consistency
- Reduced team size by two (one admin and one clinician) without sacrificing performance
The result was a leaner, more efficient team that delivered a better patient experience while optimizing revenue.
The Takeaway
What’s powerful about this case is that none of these changes were dramatic. They were small shifts — an email, a video, a streamlined process, a reframed conversation — that, together, transformed the trajectory of the practice.
And that’s the message: growth doesn’t always require sweeping changes, massive investments, or doubling staff. Sometimes, it’s about designing the right experience, empowering your team with confidence, and building momentum through small, consistent steps. The advantage of partnership is accountability — not only celebrating the wins but also pushing through resistance and turning “daunting” into “doable.”
This practice’s growth story landed them at the top of industry average conversion: 60%. In some markets and price points, 60% is a clear win; in others, it could be failing fast. I chose to highlight this story not to hold 60% up as a universal benchmark, but to show what’s possible when you move the needle. A 15-point increase translated into hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional production and reignited a team that once doubted they could hit big goals.
That’s the beauty of looking at your own numbers: they’re personal. What may look like “not good enough” from the outside isn’t always the truth. The opportunity in every practice lies in finding the next area of improvement, replacing limiting beliefs with confidence, and tapping into the next-level greatness that’s already within reach.
About RiseUP Coaching
At RiseUP Coaching, I partner with orthodontic practices to design intentional, patient-centric experiences that increase same-day acceptance, elevate conversion, and drive meaningful growth.
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Watch this video for more about this $750k Orthodontic Practice Success Case Study:
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