The Financial Report Card from an Orthodontic Consultant

Your numbers might look okay — but are they hiding silent profit leaks?

Every orthodontic practice has its rhythm: patients are coming in, contracts are signed, payments are processing... or are they?

Behind the scenes, declined payments, inaccurate ledgers, and unmonitored AR can quietly chip away at your growth — while your team scrambles to manage the chaos without a system to stop it from happening again.

At Shimmin Consulting, we’ve uncovered these patterns in practices of every size. That’s why we built the — a strategic, diagnostic deep dive that shows you exactly what’s helping your growth… and what’s silently working against it.

Here are 5 hidden issues that might be hurting your profitability:

1. Declined payments aren't being followed up promptly or consistently

   Most practices don’t have an assigned person or process. The result? Delays, confusion, and mounting AR.

   
   

2. Contracts that make patients look past due — even when they’re paying

   If your ledger is set up to show the full contract balance on day one, you’re misrepresenting your real collections and stressing your staff.

   
   

3. Rollbacks from insurance claims are recurring monthly

   These are often preventable with the right workflow and ledger setup — and yet, many offices accept them as “normal.”

   
   

4. Write-offs exceed 3% of production — and nobody can explain why

   Whether it’s due to rushed adjustments or unclear promo codes, this adds up to thousands lost every month.

   
   

5. Credits, missed auto-drafts, and disconnected systems

   When no one is tracking these issues holistically, your numbers look good on paper — but your cash flow says otherwise.

   
   

Most financial “cleanups” focus on fixing the mess once. We help you prevent the mess from happening again. You’ll get:

• A full health check of your contracts, AR, adjustments, credits, insurance tracking, and declined payments

• Clarity on the systems causing the problem

• A practice-specific plan to prevent leaks, track performance, and coach your team to sustain it

If you’re tired of reacting to financial chaos and ready to lead with clarity the Shimmin Financial Health Check is your next best move.

What the Report Card Includes:

• Accounts Receivable Health

  • Total Patient and Insurance AR analyzed separately

• Delinquencies and Past Due Trends

  • Missed payment patterns and root causes

• Rollbacks and Ledger Accuracy

  • Review rollback activity over the past 6 months

  • Insurance and patient rollback trends

• Contract and Ledger Setup Health check

  • Review of how insurance ledgers are setup

• Adjustments and Write-Offs

  • Total Adjustment percentages

  • Identifying Red Flags

  • Excess promos or inconsistent discounts flagged

• Credits and Overpayments

  • Total Credits and common causes

  • Prevention and cleanup strategies

• Autopay Utilization

  • % of Contracts using auto-draft

  • Recommendations to increase automation and reduce missed payments

  • Ensuring declined payments are followed up on

• Strategic Recommendations

  • Actionable next steps

  • Fixing issues at the source

  • Coaching recommendations

You don’t need another cleanup. You need a roadmap.

Let Shimmin Consulting be your official orthodontic consultants and show you how financial clarity drives profitability. Contact us today for your personal Report Card and Practice Health Check.