CareCredit Prequalification for Dental Patients: A Convenient Way to Start Payment Conversations

Dental teams know that even when patients feel confident in your treatment recommendations, cost can still be a sticking point. Prequalifying for the CareCredit credit card can give dental patients a convenient way to explore payment options in their own time, without affecting their credit score. It also helps keep conversations focused on care, not cost concerns, so your patients can move forward with confidence.

Dental Care Costs Could Delay Case Acceptance

Dental care today often involves more advanced and higher-cost treatment options, from implants to clear aligners to oral surgery. Even with insurance, annual maximums, deductibles and exclusions mean patients may still face out-of-pocket expenses. Synchrony’s Dental Lifetime of Care report found that 58% of dental patients surveyed believe dental care is not affordable, which may cause them to hold off on general dental care and even emergency dental care.¹

When patients delay treatment due to cost, small issues like early caries or cracked teeth can progress, which may lead to more chair time, additional visits and higher overall costs for the patient. Offering a simple way to explore payment options early in the conversation can help reduce hesitation and improve outcomes.

Prequalification Helps Make Dental Financing for Healthcare Easy to Start

Introducing prequalification for dental financing early in the conversation can give patients a clear picture of their financial options before decisions feel urgent. Because prequalification is self-guided and can be done from a patient’s own device, it fits naturally into the visit without slowing things down. Checking prequalification with CareCredit is a soft inquiry, with no impact on the patient’s credit score.

A Step-by-Step Guide to How CareCredit Prequalification Can Work for Dental Patients

Use these suggested talking points to introduce prequalification at natural patient touchpoints in your dental workflow. The process is fast and simple for patients and your team.

Step 1: Introduce prequalification early

• Try phrasing like this: “If you’d like to explore a flexible way to pay over time, you can check to see if you prequalify for the CareCredit credit card. It’s quick and won’t impact your credit score.”
• Mention prequalification when presenting options like implants vs. partials, clear aligners or phased periodontal care, before patients start to feel apprehension about price.

Step 2: Patients check their prequalification

• Patients can get started on their own device from your custom link or QR code or by visiting carecredit.com.
• They enter the last four digits of their Social Security number and their mobile phone number, then follow the prompts and receive a response in real time.

Step 3: Guide preapproved patients to apply

• If patients receive a prequalification offer, let them know they can apply right away from their device although prequalification is not a guarantee of credit approval.
• You can keep your focus on clinical priorities and timing while patients explore their healthcare financing options privately.

Step 4: Approved patients can use CareCredit financing on the spot for their dental treatment

• If approved, patients can take advantage of CareCredit’s flexible monthly payment options to finance treatment the same day they are approved.

Dental Financing Helps Patient Case Acceptance

When healthcare payments are spread over time, treatment can feel more accessible. This can make it easier for patients to move forward with:

• Planned care. I.e., implants (with abutment and crown), full-arch solutions, veneers, clear aligners or braces and other smile improvements
• Unplanned care. I.e., emergency extractions, root canals, same-day crowns and urgent oral surgery
• Series or maintenance care. I.e., scaling and root planing with maintenance visits, multi-appointment restorative cases and an occlusal guard with follow-up adjustments

By offering a simple way to explore patient payment solutions, you can help patients feel comfortable proceeding with the plan you recommend for the care that they need or want.

How Patient Financing for Dental Care Can Help Dental Practices

When patients can review financing options privately on their own device, your team can keep the conversation focused on clinical needs and timelines. Here are just a few of the benefits of CareCredit for providers:

Improved case acceptance, faster.

Presenting patient payment solutions alongside the recommended treatment plan can help patients make an affirmative decision sooner.

Greater patient trust.

Because patients can explore healthcare financing options privately through your custom link, conversations can feel more comfortable and stay focused on care.

Better front-desk efficiency.

With self-guided prequalification and application processes, your team spends less time on manual payment administration and more time on higher-value patient care.

• Fast reimbursement. Providers receive payment within two business days, improving cash flow and reducing time spent waiting on patient payments.

Incorporate CareCredit Prequalification Into Your Dental Patient Journey

Integrate prequalification into the moments when patients are thinking about cost and timing.

Here are common touchpoints and sample phrases your team can use:

When scheduling and prior to the visit

“Before your consult, you can see if you prequalify for the CareCredit credit card with flexible payment options. It’s quick to check on your phone and won’t impact your credit score.”

During the exam or consult

“For the implant and crown, many patients like to explore the convenience of monthly payments. You can check if you prequalify for the CareCredit credit card in under a minute on your phone with no impact on your credit score.”

When patients check out

“If you’d like to see potential payment options today, you can check to see if you prequalify for the CareCredit credit card right now. You can use our QR code on your phone. It’s a soft inquiry and won’t affect your credit score.”

At follow-up

“If you’d like to explore pay-over-time financing with the CareCredit card, I’ll text our custom link. You can use your phone to see if you prequalify — with no impact on your credit score. Then message us when you’re ready to schedule a visit.”

Ultimately, offering a simple, low-pressure way to explore financing options can help remove hesitation and keep patients focused on getting the dental care they need or want. By incorporating CareCredit prequalification into your patient journey, your practice can support confident treatment decisions while creating a smooth experience for patients and staff.

A Dental Patient Financing Solution for Your Practice

Want to help more patients move forward with the dental care they want or need? Consider offering the CareCredit credit card as a financing solution. CareCredit allows patients to pay for out-of-pocket dental care costs over time while helping enhance the payments process for your practice.

When you accept CareCredit, patients can see if they prequalify with no impact to their credit score, and those who apply, if approved, can take advantage of special financing on qualifying purchases.* Additionally, you will be paid directly within two business days.

Learn more about dental patient financing or start the provider enrollment process by filling out this form.

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