The Truth About Price Shoppers: How to Make Sure Patients Choose YOU (Even If You’re Not the Cheapest)

Let’s talk about one of the biggest myths in dentistry—the idea that patients choose their dentist based on price.

Dentists obsess over being “competitive.” They slash fees, offer discounts, run specials, and desperately try to match the cheaper guy down the street.

And it’s a losing game.

Because here’s the ugly truth about price shoppers:

• They don’t want the best treatment—they want the cheapest price.
• They don’t value expertise—they value a deal.
• They’ll leave you the second someone offers a lower price.

Do you really want those patients?

Of course not.

The best dentists—the ones running wildly profitable practices—don’t play the price war.

Instead, they position themselves as the ONLY choice… making price irrelevant.

Why Competing on Price Will Put You Out of Business

If you try to be the “affordable dentist”…

• You attract bargain hunters who will complain about every dollar.
• You devalue your expertise (patients assume cheaper equals lower quality).
• You work harder for less money—while your competitors get paid more for the same procedures.

Worse?

When you try to be “affordable,” you attract problem patients—the ones who:

• No-show appointments
• Push back on treatment plans
• Refuse to accept anything beyond the bare minimum

Compare that to high-value patients—the ones who say yes to full-mouth restorations, implants, and advanced procedures.

They’re not looking for the cheapest price.

They’re looking for the best experience, the best outcome, and the best doctor to trust with their health.

How to Make Price Irrelevant (And Become the ONLY Choice)

If you want patients to choose you—without shopping around—you must shift the conversation away from price and toward value.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Stop Selling Procedures—Start Selling Outcomes

Patients don’t care about technical details. They care about what treatment means for their life.

Selling a dental implant?
No. You’re selling the ability to eat steak again, smile without embarrassment, and keep their jawbone strong for life.

Selling Invisalign?
No. You’re selling confidence in every photo, every conversation, and every job interview.

When you sell the outcome instead of the procedure, patients stop thinking about price—and start thinking about how life-changing their decision will be.

Step 2: Position Yourself as the Expert

People pay more for the best. Period.

If you position yourself as the expert in your area—the authority, the trusted specialist, the only doctor patients should even consider—you eliminate price objections completely.

• Showcase your credentials.
• Display testimonials from thrilled patients.
• Use before-and-after photos that prove your results.
• Educate patients with high-quality content (not cookie-cutter marketing fluff).

When patients see you as the absolute best, price becomes a non-issue.

Step 3: Use Scarcity & Exclusivity

People want what they can’t have.

When you position yourself as an exclusive provider, suddenly, patients feel privileged just to get an appointment.

Example:

Wrong: “We’re always accepting new patients!” (Translation: We’re desperate for business.)
Right: “Due to high demand, we have limited availability for new patients. Call today to reserve your consultation.” (Translation: You’re in demand, and they should act fast.)

Scarcity makes you valuable.

Step 4: Deliver an Experience No Other Dentist Can Match

Your competition isn’t other dentists—it’s the way you make patients feel.

If your practice delivers:

• A smooth, stress-free experience
• Comfort-focused dentistry with no pain, fear, or judgment
• A warm, welcoming team that makes patients feel like VIPs

You win.

Because people don’t remember the price… they remember how they felt.

The Bottom Line: Stop Playing the Price Game—Start Winning High-Value Patients

• If you don’t control the conversation, patients will price shop.
• If you don’t differentiate yourself, they will go with the cheapest option.
• If you don’t position yourself as the only choice, you will lose high-value cases.

The most successful dentists don’t compete on price.

They dominate on value, experience, and authority.

Want to learn the exact strategies that will stop price shoppers in their tracks and turn them into high-value patients who say yes to treatment?

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

Or keep slashing your fees while your competitors close $10,000, $20,000, even $50,000 cases—without a single discount.

The choice is yours.

To your success,

Parthiv Shah