How Sedation Increases Profitability and Restores Practice Control

By Genni Burkhart

In the DOCS Education course Sedation and the Profitable Dental Practice, Dr. Anthony Feck, DMD, presents a data-driven model for building a more productive, lower-stress practice. The 1.5 CE course outlines how to restructure a dental business with sedation as the foundation.

The goal in this system isn't to do more; rather, it's to do better. In this course, Dr. Feck outlines how, with the right systems, this becomes achievable.

Sedation Supports Business Growth

As many dentists know, practice ownership means delivering excellent care while also running a profitable business. Yet most dentists were never formally trained in business. That's precisely why Dr. Feck has developed a clear formula for profitability, rooted in three essential areas that sedation directly supports. His "profitability formula" includes:

• Production: Sedation enables longer, more efficient appointments, allowing providers to complete complex treatment in fewer visits. This service leads to higher-value procedures and better use of clinical time.
• Collection rate: Prepayment models are more common in sedation practices, reducing outstanding balances and improving cash flow. Sedation patients are more likely to commit to treatment and pay in advance, creating stronger financial stability.
• Expenses: With fewer appointments needed to complete care, fixed costs such as rent, salaries, and utilities become more efficient. Sedation allows the practice to grow revenue without proportionally increasing overhead.

Dental sedation supports this formula, enabling fewer appointments, higher treatment acceptance, and a streamlined, profitable workflow.

Are You Overly Focused on "Busyness?"

Too often, dentists equate full chairs and long days with success. However, this constant "busyness" just creates stress and burnout. Enter sedation, which allows practices to shift focus away from volume and toward value. It helps streamline the workday, improve treatment flow, and deliver outcomes that benefit patients and the practice.

Boosting Case Acceptance With Sedation

Patients who seek sedation often present with complex needs, as many have delayed treatment for years. Sedation has a strong production potential. More importantly, sedation patients are frequently more willing to say yes to treatment when practices present it with clarity, empathy, and flexibility.

Dentists can improve case acceptance by ensuring the following:

• Patients are offered the treatment they want, not just what they need.
• The emotional aspects of decision-making are acknowledged and respected.
• Financial options are clear, without creating pressure or confusion.

Successful practices do not assume patients will move forward solely because of education. Instead, they tap into trust and patient motivation.

Building a Smarter Schedule

Dr. Feck emphasizes that productivity isn't about cramming more patients into the day. Rather, it's about having control over the schedule. Sedation enables longer, focused appointments, especially in the morning, which reduces clinical fatigue and increases total output.

With sedation, a well-structured schedule can achieve the following:

• Meet clearly defined daily production goals.
• Allow fewer patients per day without reducing revenue.
• Minimize disruptions from unplanned or low-value visits.

Scheduling becomes more intentional, and the day feels more manageable.

Creating a Stronger Team

A productive practice requires a strong, well-supported team. Sedation-focused offices tend to offer more consistency, a calmer pace, and opportunities for staff development.

Dr. Feck recommends structuring the team with these goals in mind:

• Hire based on the schedule and production model you want to achieve.
• Train team members in sedation-related communication, safety, and clinical support.
• Foster a collaborative culture that values professionalism and patient care.

When staff members are empowered and supported, patient experiences improve, and retention increases.

Making Sedation Your Marketing Message

Dr. Feck also urges practices not to bury sedation within a list of services. Instead, he recommends making it a signature message that sets the practice apart.

Effective sedation marketing should accomplish the following:

• Present sedation clearly as a specialty focus, not an add-on.
• Include a dedicated webpage that explains sedation options and benefits.
• Target patients who seek comfort, time savings, or anxiety management.

Some practices even use a public-facing name that reinforces sedation as a core offering. This clarity helps patients connect with the practice from the first impression.

Improving Collections and Cash Flow

Practices offering sedation often shift to a prepayment model. This system reduces financial risk, decreases write-offs, and simplifies billing.

Key outcomes of a sedation-centered financial system include:

• Most treatment is paid in advance, eliminating the need for frequent follow-up.
• Fewer claims are delayed or denied due to insurance issues.
• Monthly cash flow becomes more predictable and consistent.

When patients understand the value of care and are committed upfront, financial systems run more smoothly.

Lowering Overhead, Increasing Output

Sedation allows providers to complete more dentistry in fewer visits, which leads to more efficient use of fixed expenses. Because the number of appointments decreases, the cost per dollar of production also improves.

This model creates the following advantages:

• Rent, salaries, and utilities become more cost-effective per visit.
• Lab and supply expenses do not increase at the same pace as revenue.
• Practices can grow revenue without needing additional operatories or staffing.

Even for practices with space or schedule limitations, sedation creates room to grow within existing infrastructure.

Optimizing Your Systems with Sedation

According to Dr. Feck, profitability is not random. It is the result of integrated systems that support consistent, high-quality care. He outlines twelve areas of practice performance, eleven of which are positively influenced by sedation.

Key improvements occur in areas such as the following:

• Diagnostic opportunity and accuracy, due to longer visits and comprehensive evaluations.
• Case acceptance, driven by comfort, trust, and emotional engagement.
• Scheduling supports high-value procedures with fewer patient visits.
• Clinical speed, as patients are relaxed, and treatment is more focused.

When sedation is applied, these systems align to support efficiency and long-term success.

A Sustainable Model for Growth

Dr. Feck has implemented this model in his own practice and has taught it to hundreds of others through DOCS Education courses and his company, Sunrise Dental Solutions. His current office is built around these same principles.

Dr. Feck's success and that of his program prove that sedation isn't simply a tool for anxious patients. It's ultimately a business model that increases income, improves staff morale, elevates patient care, and brings clarity back to the workday. When structured and delivered with purpose and safety top of mind, sedation can restore balance and profitability in nearly any dental practice.

Author: With over 15 years as an award-winning journalist, editor, and writer, Genni Burkhart has covered everything from news, politics, and healthcare to finance, corporate leadership, and technology. As editor-in-chief of The Incisor newsletter and blog and features writer at DOCS Education, she brings a refreshing insight and a passion for storytelling to the world of sedation dentistry.