Setting Fees Based on Your Expertise

A high-tech, high-volume power plant suffers a breakdown that grinds everything to a halt. All the engineers and maintenance people on the team do everything they can, but even after extensive investigation, they can’t seem to figure out the problem.

Finally, an expert consultant is brought in to help. The consultant spends several minutes looking around and examining the machinery. Then he grabs a hammer and delivers a sharp blow to one of the valves. Suddenly, the plant rumbles back to life.

Everyone is delighted and relieved — everyone except the executive who later receives the consultant’s invoice for $1,000. All he did was hit a valve with a hammer, he thinks. He demands an itemized accounting from the consultant and receives this breakdown:

• Hitting valve with hammer: $10
• Knowing which valve to hit: $990

This is the difference between billing for tooth-based dentistry versus comprehensive restorative dentistry. To a patient, an hour in the chair may seem the same no matter what the procedure. But what they — and you — have to fully appreciate is that when you’re performing complex, sophisticated dentistry, it’s not just about your time in the operatory. It’s about all the time and resources you’ve put into advanced education so you can deliver care at that level. They’re not just paying for the hour; they’re paying for your special expertise.

There is real value in knowing which valve to hit, and you deserve to be compensated fairly for the effort you’ve put into acquiring that knowledge.