What it looks like
Ask your SEO company what to do next and the answer is more SEO. Ask an AI receptionist vendor and the answer is an AI receptionist. Everyone’s advice leads back to their own invoice.
What’s behind it
That usually isn’t bad faith. People recommend what they know and what they sell. It does mean nobody around your practice is looking at the whole picture, and when one channel starts beating another, the vendor who would lose budget has little reason to mention it.
AI has made this harder to see. Dozens of front-desk AI products now promise to answer every call around the clock. Some are good. Few will tell you that your bigger leak is somewhere else, like recalls nobody owns or insurance checks done while the patient waits at the desk.
What to do
Get at least one opinion from someone who earns nothing from what you choose, and ask how they’re paid before you act on their advice. A useful adviser should be comfortable telling you to keep your current agency, switch on a feature you already own, or skip a tool entirely.
That’s how Half Day Back works. We don’t sell software, resell it or take referral fees. If we recommend a tool, the vendor pays us nothing.
How to choose a dental consultant
“Dental consultant” covers very different people. Some coach the business side of a practice. Some run marketing. Some, like us, focus on technology and AI at the front desk. We’re AI experts, not dentists, so we never advise on clinical care. Know which kind you need before you compare them.
Then look at how each one is paid, because that shapes the advice.
| How they’re paid | What to watch for |
|---|---|
| Fixed project fee | The clearest model. Check exactly what’s delivered and when the work ends. |
| Monthly retainer | Fine for ongoing help. Ask what you get each month and how easily you can cancel. |
| Share of your production or revenue | Their pay rises with yours. Ask how it’s measured and what happens when numbers dip for reasons outside their control. |
| Referral fees from vendors | The one to ask about directly. If an adviser earns money when you buy a tool, their advice to buy it isn’t independent. |
A good consultant answers the payment question plainly and puts it in writing (Chapter 8 covers what else belongs in the agreement).
- How are you paid? Do you earn anything from the tools or services you recommend?
- If you were in my seat, what would you not spend money on this year?
- What would make you tell me to stop working with you?
- When did you last advise a client to spend less with you?
Common questions
Do we need a dental consultant?
Not always. If you know your biggest leak and someone on the team owns fixing it, you may not. A consultant helps most when nobody can see the whole picture or nobody has time to fix it.
How are dental consultants usually paid?
By fixed project fee, monthly retainer, a share of production, or referral fees from vendors they recommend. Ask which one, and whether there are any others.
What’s the difference between a dental consultant and an AI adoption firm?
A practice management consultant usually covers the whole business. An AI adoption firm like Half Day Back focuses on the front desk: which tools to use, setting them up safely, and training the team until they run it.
How can we tell if advice is independent?
Ask whether the adviser earns anything from what they recommend. Then watch whether they ever tell you to spend less, keep a vendor you already have, or switch on something you already own.