Considering oral sedation certification? Use DOCS Education’s ROI calculator to run the numbers for your practice in under three minutes and evaluate the potential.
By DOCS Incisor Staff
The American Dental Association (ADA) reports that 73% of patients have some level of dental fear, with 40% stating interest in dental sedation. With that, dental anxiety affects everything from patient schedules to treatment acceptance. That leaves practices with a sizable group of patients who'd welcome another way to make dental visits more relaxing and manageable.
For dentists considering oral sedation, patient demand is only part of the equation. Adding the service also requires training, equipment, and planning around how sedation appointments fit into the practice schedule. It's wise, therefore, to ask what oral sedation could realistically add to the practice.
The DOCS Education Oral Sedation ROI Assessment helps put some numbers behind that question. The online calculator takes less than three minutes and gives dentists a quick look at oral sedation's production potential. From there, they can consider the result alongside expected case volume, startup costs, and the patients they already serve.
Start With Your Goals
Every practice comes to oral sedation from a different starting point. Some already see anxious patients who ask about sedation or need additional support to complete treatment. Others may be looking for ways to make longer or more involved appointments easier for patients to manage.
That existing patient base matters when considering ROI. For example, a practice with steady demand may begin using sedation more frequently, while another may introduce it gradually and build volume over time. Either way, the calculator provides a useful starting point for determining whether the financial potential lines up. From there, case volume helps bring the numbers into focus.
Consider Case Volume
In everyday practice, even a modest number of sedation cases makes a difference over the course of a year. A lower-volume oral sedation program may treat about five patients per month, while a moderate-volume practice may see 10 to 15. As such, a practice with a stronger sedation focus could eventually reach 20 or more.
For example, one scenario uses a $500 sedation fee and $150 in variable costs per case, leaving $350 in net profit. At five cases per month, that comes to about $21,000 in annual incremental profit. Therefore, ten cases would bring that estimate to $42,000, while 15 would reach $63,000 and 20 would reach $84,000.
Of course, those figures won’t look exactly the same in every practice. However, it shows how quickly case volume can change the financial picture. It also provides a useful comparison point when reviewing the ROI calculator results for oral sedation.
Investment & Return
Potential production tells only part of the story. Practices will also need to consider what it takes to begin offering oral sedation.
- Equipment and setup costs are estimated at approximately $3,000 to $10,000. In addition, dentists and team members need appropriate training in dosing, monitoring, patient selection, and safety.
- Another example uses a $6,500 initial investment and $250 in net profit per case. Under that model, the practice would reach the break-even point after 26 cases. Actual costs and fees will vary, but the example makes the relationship between volume and investment easier to see.
When using the ROI calculator, context matters. A promising production estimate becomes much more useful when viewed alongside the cost of getting the service up and running.
Consider the Broader Value
The financial impact of providing oral sedation extends far beyond the revenue potential. While the calculator offers a financial starting point, existing patient demand and treatment acceptance provide real-world context. Patients who feel comfortable with treatment are more willing to move forward with recommended care. And because sedation allows for longer appointments, treatment becomes more manageable for patients.
As a result, the true ROI includes both increased revenue and the ability to provide your patients with a higher level of care. That can be especially meaningful for practices that too often see patients delaying treatment due to anxiety, phobias, or fear.
Run the Numbers
Oral sedation can offer another way to care for anxious patients while also creating room for practice growth. How much value it adds depends on the patients a practice serves, how often sedation becomes part of the schedule, and what it costs to implement.
Fortunately, dentists don’t have to rely on broad estimates alone. The DOCS Education Oral Sedation ROI Assessment provides a quick way to explore the financial potential and compare that result with expected volume, investment, and practice goals.
If oral sedation has been on your radar, take a few minutes to run the calculator and see what the numbers could look like in your practice. If you would like to speak with a Course Advisor, call 877-318-2801.
Take the DOCS Education Oral Sedation ROI Assessment
