Question 1

What are the most important dental KPIs to track?

Accepted Answer

The most critical dental KPIs are: Collection Rate (target 98%+), Overhead Rate (target under 60%), New Patient Flow (sufficient to replace attrition and support growth), Case Acceptance Rate (target 80%+), Hygiene Production Ratio (28-33% of total production), and Production per Hour ($450-600+). These metrics give a comprehensive view of practice health.

Question 2

What is a good collection rate for a dental practice?

Accepted Answer

A good dental collection rate is 98% or higher. The average practice achieves around 95%, while struggling practices may be at 90% or below. If your collection rate is under 95%, you're likely leaving significant revenue uncollected due to write-offs, insurance issues, or poor follow-up on accounts receivable.

Question 3

What should dental practice overhead be?

Accepted Answer

Ideal dental practice overhead should be 55-60% of collections. Average practices run at 65%, while inefficient practices may exceed 75%. Staff costs typically represent 25-30%, facility costs 5-7%, supplies 5-7%, and lab fees 8-10%. Overhead above 70% significantly limits profitability.

Question 4

How do I know if my new patient flow is healthy?

Accepted Answer

A healthy practice acquires enough new patients to replace natural attrition (10-15% annually) while supporting growth goals. Focus on sustainable acquisition costs relative to patient lifetime value rather than hitting arbitrary volume targets. The ideal number varies by practice size, capacity, and market competition.

Question 5

What is the dental hygiene production benchmark?

Accepted Answer

Dental hygiene should produce 28-33% of total practice production. A full-time hygienist should produce $1,200-$1,500+ per day or 3x their daily wage. If hygiene production is under 25% of total production, you may be under-utilizing your hygiene department or missing opportunities for periodontal treatment.

Dental Practice KPI Calculator

Practice Information

Why Track Dental Practice KPIs?

Identify Blind Spots

Benchmark Performance

Prioritize Improvements

Industry Benchmarks We Measure