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The #1 Sales Mistake Dentists Make When Selling Implants (And How to Fix It)

Posted by Parthiv Shah on Feb 17, 2025 8:00:00 AM

Parthiv Shah

You do everything right.

  • You educate the patient.
  • You explain the benefits of implants.
  • You show them how implants are the best solution for missing teeth.

Then you get to the price…

And suddenly—everything falls apart.

  • They hesitate.
  • They say they need to think about it.
  • They tell you they’ll check their finances.
  • Or worse—they disappear completely.

What happened?

You made the number one sales mistake dentists make when selling implants:

You presented the price the wrong way—and triggered immediate resistance.

Because here’s the truth:

  • Patients don’t reject implants because they’re “too expensive.”
  • They reject implants because they weren’t sold on the value first.

If the first number your patient hears is a big, scary dollar amount, their brain shuts down.

Their gut reaction? “That’s too much.”

It’s not logical—it’s psychological.

And if you don’t present price the right way, you’re guaranteeing lost cases, lost revenue, and lost opportunities.

How Most Dentists Kill the Sale (Without Realizing It)

You may think you’re educating patients…

But if you’re saying any of the following, you’re pushing them away instead:

  • “Dental implants cost around $5,000 per tooth.”
  • “The full-mouth procedure is $30,000.”
  • “I know it’s a lot, but implants last a lifetime.”

Big mistake.

  • The patient hears the price first.
  • They go into sticker shock.
  • Everything else you say after that gets tuned out.

Even if implants are the best decision for their health, their brain is stuck on the number—and they’re already looking for an exit.

How to Present Implant Pricing Without Triggering Resistance

If you want to stop losing cases over price, you need to flip the script.

Step 1: Build the Value Before Discussing Cost

Never—ever—give the price before the patient sees the value.

  • Show them before-and-after cases.
  • Get them emotionally invested in their new smile.
  • Have them imagine eating, smiling, and living without pain.

Then and only then do you transition into the investment.

Step 2: Break Down the Cost So It Feels Smaller

Wrong: “The full procedure is $30,000.”
Right: “Most of our patients get implants for as little as $300 per month.”

Same price. Different reaction.

One sounds impossible.
The other sounds manageable.

When patients see they can pay in small, monthly amounts—just like a car payment—the sticker shock disappears.

Step 3: Compare the Cost of Not Getting Implants

Patients need to see what happens if they say no.

For example:

  • “The alternative is a denture that clicks, slips, and will need replacing every few years.”
  • “Without an implant, your bone will continue shrinking—affecting your facial structure.”
  • “The longer you wait, the more expensive it gets.”

Suddenly, $300 a month for a permanent solution sounds like the smarter choice.

Step 4: Use Scarcity and Urgency

If patients think they can “wait and decide later,” they will.

You need to give them a reason to act now.

  • Limited scheduling availability – “We only have a few spots left for implant cases this month.”
  • Rising costs – “Due to increasing lab fees, prices are expected to go up next year.”
  • Healing time – “The sooner we start, the sooner you’ll be eating steak again.”

Urgency closes deals.

Step 5: Give Them Permission to Say Yes

Patients need reassurance that they’re making the right decision.

  • “This is an investment in you—and you deserve to eat, smile, and live without limits.”
  • “We make it easy—flexible financing, easy payments, zero hassle.”
  • “You’re in the right place—hundreds of patients have made this decision, and they couldn’t be happier.”

When patients feel good about their decision, they say yes.

Stop Losing Cases Over Price

Most dentists talk about cost too soon and too bluntly.

The top one percent?

They sell value first, present pricing correctly, and close more cases with ease.

Want to learn the exact strategies that will eliminate price objections and get more patients to say yes to implants?

Schedule an appointment with me, Parthiv Shah, to learn how.

Or keep watching patients walk out your door, never to return.

The choice is yours.

To your success,

Parthiv Shah

Topics: benefits of implants, selling implants, facial structure, Rising costs, Healing time, exact strategies, educate the patient

 parthiv shah

 

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