Chairlink Guide
Staff Training · v1.0 · Last updated 2026-10-18
For the whole dental team, on the phone or in the chair, when a patient says they can get the same treatment cheaper at another office.
Don't defend the fee. Find out what they're comparing, check both plans side by side, and if it's the same work, say the lower fee is a good choice.
Human directed. AI organized. Continuously improved.
Every office hears it: "I can get this cheaper somewhere else." Many teams defend the fee, match it, or go quiet. There is a better way.
This guide shows your team how to find out what the patient is really comparing, check the 2 plans side by side, and answer with the truth, even when the truth is that the other office is a good choice.
**Written for:** the whole team. Front desk, treatment coordinators, insurance coordinators, dentists and office managers. Each move says who owns it.
**Time to read:** about 15 minutes. **Time to use:** the next time the phone rings.
**Read this first.** This guide does not tell you what to charge. Discounts, price matching and copay rules depend on your insurance contracts and state law. Clinical decisions belong to the treating dentist.
Version 1.0 · October 2026 · Review April 2027
AI assisted. Human guided. Continuously improved.
Meet Rosa. She needs a crown on a cracked molar. At checkout she says it: "The office by my work does crowns for $200 less."
The front desk does what many teams do. They defend the fee. "Our crowns are really high quality. We use a great lab." Rosa goes quiet. She doesn't book anywhere.
Here's what nobody asked. Was it the same tooth? Did their price include the buildup and the temporary? Was it a price over the phone, or a written plan after X rays? Or is the real problem that $1,200 isn't in her budget this month?
Cost is a real barrier in dentistry. In 2025, 12.9% of people in the US skipped dental care they needed because of cost, compared with 5.0% for medical care (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2026).
"Cheaper" can mean 6 different things. This guide shows your team how to find out which one, and what to say for each.
**Find out what they're comparing. Then answer that.**
Never defend a number you haven't compared.
**Honesty test:** If the other plan is the same work, will you tell the patient the lower fee is a good choice? If yes, every script in this guide will sound true.
They may mean What it calls for
--- ---
Same work, lower fee Check it. If it's the same, say so.
A different plan A talk about findings, led by the dentist.
Missing pieces Put both plans side by side, line by line.
Can't afford it Change the plan or the payment, not the price.
Not sure who to trust Treat it as a second opinion. Help, then stop.
Testing the price Same fee for the same work. Offer options, not a discount.
Move What you do Who owns it
--- --- ---
**1. Agree** Comparing makes sense. Then pause. Whoever hears it first
**2. Ask** Which part? What was included? Before or after an exam? Whoever hears it first
**3. Compare** Both plans side by side. Same teeth, same codes, same extras. Treatment coordinator
**4. Answer** Same work: say so. Different plan: explain your findings. No money: change the plan or payment. Coordinator, dentist for any clinical difference
**5. Release** Say what you recommend. Let them choose. Make records easy. Dentist recommends, front desk handles next steps
**Front desk, first line:**
"That makes sense. Fees really do vary from office to office." Then pause. Let them talk first.
**Coordinator, starting the compare:**
"Let's put them side by side. If they turn out to be the same work, I'll tell you."
**Dentist, when the plan is different:**
"Dentists can look at the same tooth and land in different places. Here's what I see, and why I chose a crown."
**When they ask "Can you match it?"**
"We don't change our fee for 1 patient, so I can't match a number. What I can do is look at both plans with you, and show you ways to spread out the cost."
Don't say Say
--- ---
"Our fees are fair." "Fees really do vary."
"You get what you pay for." "Let's see what each one includes."
"We can match that." "Let's look at both plans first."
"They must be cutting corners." "Here's what I see."
These never bend. Not for a nice patient, a big case, or a slow month.
This page is the outline. Field Guide No. 15 is the playbook your whole team can use tomorrow:
Download the full guide below.
The 5 moves and scripts are original Chairlink teaching material. Rosa and all scenarios are made up to teach.
This guide is for education. It isn't legal, billing, insurance or clinical advice. Clinical decisions belong to the treating dentist. Your fees are your decision, and this guide doesn't suggest what to charge. Discounts, price matching, copay waivers and price ads can be limited by insurance contracts and state law, so check with the right professional before you change a policy.
Chairlink Guides are general educational and informational resources. They are not medical, dental, legal, financial, employment or other professional advice.
This Guide discusses clinical topics. It is not patient-specific advice and does not replace professional judgment, diagnosis, treatment planning, consultation, or applicable standards of care.
Cheaper Somewhere Else: What to Say When a Patient Compares Your Fee on Chairlink