# Orthodontics Case Acceptance Guide

## Why this exists
Orthodontic starts are often lost after diagnosis, not before it. The patient liked the consult but still hesitated on cost, timing, school disruption, or whether treatment really needs to happen now.

## Case Acceptance Friction
Track the four most common reasons cases stall:
- financing hesitation
- timing hesitation
- appearance and comfort concern
- low perceived urgency

Every stalled case should be tagged into one primary lane so follow-up becomes more precise.

## Parent and Adult Buyer Signals
Parents often need:
- timing clarity
- school and activity disruption guidance
- payment structure confidence
- long-term benefit framing

Adults often need:
- appearance and convenience framing
- confidence around treatment duration
- reassurance about work and lifestyle disruption
- clear aligner vs. braces fit guidance

## Treatment Coordinator Workflow
1. Tag the case by hesitation type before the patient leaves.
2. Send the right follow-up asset inside 24 hours.
3. Re-contact within 3 business days with one new clarity point, not generic pressure.
4. Route unresolved objections back to the right clinical or financial explanation.
5. Flag aging cases weekly for structured rescue follow-up.

## Monthly Review
Review:
- consults completed
- starts accepted
- stalled reasons by lane
- average days from consult to decision
- which follow-up assets moved the most cases forward

## Operating Notes
- Case acceptance improves when the clinic removes uncertainty, not when it sounds pushier.
- Coordinator language should match the buyer’s actual hesitation, not a generic script.