Dear Reader,
December is one of the most overlooked opportunities in dentistry. Most practices coast through the final weeks of the year, assuming patients are too distracted, too busy, or too focused on the holidays to commit to treatment. But the practices that consistently dominate year after year know the truth:
December is one of the most productive and most strategically important months of the entire calendar.
Whether you plan to grow, maintain stability, or consider selling your practice to a DSO in the coming years, the way you close out the year matters. Your December performance affects your trailing-12 numbers, your momentum entering 2026, and the perceived strength of your practice in the eyes of any future buyer.
If you’re a mature, established dentist who wants to finish strong, protect your valuation, and push high-value dentistry to the forefront, here are the strategies that matter most.
- Lead With High-Value Dentistry (It’s What Patients Want in December)
For many patients, December feels like a natural “reset.”
People want to:
- Use their remaining benefits
- Get treatment done before deductibles reset
- Start the new year healthier
- Improve their confidence heading into holiday gatherings and family photos
And most importantly… they finally have the time to schedule bigger appointments.
Cosmetic work, implants, crowns, Invisalign, these cases move exceptionally well in December if you position them correctly.
This month is the perfect moment to lean into high-value dentistry, because it carries more weight than any other service when it comes to your overall production and your future valuation. DSOs pay close attention to your mix of services. They want to see evidence that your practice does more than routine dentistry; they want to see trust, case acceptance, and meaningful clinical impact.
If you want to elevate the financial strength of your practice before the year ends, this is your lever.
- Tighten Scheduling and Reduce Gaps Before the New Year
December schedules can get sloppy fast. Cancellations increase. Weather disrupts appointments. Staff take vacations. Patients get sick. That’s precisely why proactive scheduling is crucial.
Use this time to:
- Confirm appointments sooner than usual
- Double-confirm high-value appointments
- Offer early-morning and late-afternoon blocks for larger cases
- Prioritize fillings, crowns, and implants before routine checks
- Encourage hygiene patients to accept treatment the same day
The message you want your team to communicate is:
“Let’s get this taken care of for you before the year ends.”
It’s simple, clear, and effective. The tighter your schedule, the stronger your year-end performance, and the better your trailing 12 months look to anyone evaluating your practice.
- Implement a “December Treatment Accelerator” With Your Team
Your team is the engine behind your December success. A “December Treatment Accelerator” is simply a month-long mindset shift:
- Every diagnosis is presented with confidence
- Every patient is reminded of expiring benefits
- Every opportunity to convert same-day dentistry is taken
- Every pending treatment is followed up
- Every hygiene visit is connected to treatment that matters
Your assistants, hygienists, and front desk team should know: December is not the month to be passive. It’s the month to help patients make decisions they’ve been delaying.
You’ll be surprised how many patients say yes when your team is aligned and intentional.
- Reactivate the Patients Who Slipped Away This Year
December is the best month to bring inactive patients back into the fold before they disappear for good.
Make a simple list:
- Overdue hygiene
- Unscheduled treatment
- Consults that didn’t convert
- Patients who said “not now” earlier this year
Reach out with a warm, low-pressure message:
“Before the year ends, let’s get you taken care of.”
This is not aggressive selling. This is serving your patients and protecting your production. Even a modest reactivation push can add $20,000, $40,000, or more to your December results… and dramatically strengthen your 2025 numbers.
- Remember: December Impacts Your Practice Valuation More Than You Think
If you’re even considering selling in the next few years, this part matters.
DSOs evaluate:
- Consistency
- Growth
- Case mix
- Hygiene utilization
- Production stability
- EBITDA
- High-value dentistry trends
Your December numbers directly shape your trailing 12 months, one of the most important financial indicators buyers use. A strong December builds leverage. A weak December limits your options. You worked decades to build a thriving practice. Every December should strengthen the asset you’ve built, not soften it.
- Close the Year With Intention, Not Autopilot
Most dentists do not maximize December. Not because they don’t want to… but because they don’t realize how much value is sitting right in front of them.
You have a powerful opportunity this month:
- To finish strong
- To increase high-value production
- To protect the long-term value of your practice
- And to enter 2026 with momentum and confidence
As always, we’re here to help you look at your numbers, evaluate your opportunities, and ensure you’re positioned for the strongest future possible, whether that means continued ownership, structured growth, or a thoughtful plan to sell. Your December decisions matter. Make them work for you.
To your unstoppable success,
Your Team at Everything DSO
