Acceptable Numbers for Orthodontic Fees

By Dr. Dean C. Bellavia

It make no sense to set fees using numbers that are naturally unacceptable, when you can set fees that are naturally acceptable. About 30 years ago a research group conducted a study of the fees of about 20 dental practices. They took every fee quoted for each practice over the life of each practice; they had hundreds of thousands, if not millions of fees and thus, a significant data sample. They used only one criterion for the study, was the fee accepted or was it rejected by the patient. From that study came a remarkable understanding of which numbers are naturally acceptable and which numbers are not. Why certain numbers are not acceptable and why certain numbers are, are not important; what is important is that they are acceptable or not. Below is an extrapolation of these findings.

· Fees between $1 and $9, the numbers 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 are acceptable with numbers 1 and 5 less acceptable and the number 9 unacceptable alone or at the end of any number.

Thus, avoid using 9 (and avoid any other number ending in 9, for example, $99, $169, $1,489, $5,999, $8,589, etc.).

· Fees between $10 and $99, multiples of 25 (25, 50, 75, 100) are unacceptable, multiples of 10 (20, 30, 40, 60, 70, 80) are less unacceptable than multiples of 25 and multiples of 5 (15, 35, 45, 55, 65, 85) are less unacceptable than multiples of 10. Numbers ending in 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 are acceptable. Thus, use miscellaneous fees ending in 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8, and always avoid 9.

· Fees between $100 and $999, multiples of 250 (250, 500, 750) are unacceptable, multiples of 100 are unacceptable, multiples of 50 (150, 250, 350, etc.) are a less unacceptable than multiples of 100, and multiples of 25 (125, 275, etc.) are less unacceptable than multiples of 50.

Thus, for fees between $100 and $500, end with: 15, 20, 30, 35, 40, 45, 60, 65, 70, 80, 85, for example, $115, $130, $135, $245, $360, $370, $485, etc.

Also, acceptable fees between $500 and $999 are best ended with: 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, for example, $520, $530, $740, $860, $580, $780, etc.

· Fees between $1,000 and $9,999, multiples of 500 (1000, 1500, 5500, 8000, etc.) are unacceptable. Acceptable fees between $1,000 and $9,999 are best ended with: 20, 30, 40, 60, 70, and 80, for example, $1,020, $1,530, $2,740, $3,860, $5,270, $6,780, etc.

To play it safe, I recommend that treatment fees end in 30 and 80. I also recommend that fees over $1,000 be increased in $50 increments, thus avoiding the unacceptable fees that may arise when you increase fees by a percentage. For example, a fee of $4,680 might be increased by $50 to $4,730 (1%) or be increased by $100 to $4,780 (2%) or be increased by $150 to $4,830 (3%) or be increased by $200 to $4,880 (4%), etc. As you can see, $50 increments allow you to choose the percentage within limits still making the fees acceptable.