Benchmarks
Dental Practices financial benchmarks
How does your dental practice compare? Key metrics cited to specialty association data and cross-checked against Sorso client engagements.
These ranges are directional, not prescriptive — a starting point for diagnosis, not a target. Where a figure comes from a published source, that source is linked on the page; where it does not, it reflects Sorso's own compiled experience.
Linked sources carry their own publication dates, shown with each citation. Unlinked ranges were last reviewed August 2026.
Profit Margin (before owner pay)
38%
Range: 30%–45%
Overhead Ratio
62%
Range: 55%–70%
Revenue / Provider
$700K–$1000K
Annual range
Collection Rate
95%
Range: 93%–97%
Denial Rate
6.5%
Range: 5%–8%
A/R Days
24 days
Range: 18–32 days
Source: Industry benchmarks compiled from MGMA, specialty association surveys, and practice management databases. Updated 2026.
How your practice compares
Where the money goes
| Category | % | Description |
|---|---|---|
| staffing | 48% | Clinical and administrative staff wages, benefits, and payroll taxes |
| rent | 10% | Facility lease, utilities, and maintenance costs |
| supplies | 12% | Clinical supplies, office supplies, and consumables |
| equipment | 10% | Equipment leases, maintenance, and depreciation |
| marketing | 6% | Digital advertising, website, patient acquisition |
| insurance | 5% | Malpractice, general liability, and property insurance |
| Other | 9% | IT, professional fees, continuing education, miscellaneous |
Payer mix
Typical payer distribution for dental practices practices. A balanced payer mix reduces dependency on any single source and improves revenue predictability.
Collection rates by payer
What top performers look like
Profit Margin
42%+
Collection Rate
98%+
Denial Rate
< 4%
A/R Days
< 16 days
KPIs specific to dental practices
| KPI | Benchmark | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lab Cost as % of Revenue | 6–8% | Dental lab fees as a share of production (industry benchmark 6–8%); one of the largest variable cost lines and a key margin lever for any dental practice. |
| Hygiene Production per Hour | $145–$200 | Revenue generated per hygiene hour; industry average is $145–$175, with top-performing departments clearing $200+ |
| Case Acceptance Rate | 60–80% | Percentage of presented treatment plans accepted by patients; industry average 50–60%, top performers 70–90% |
| Reappointment Rate | 85–92% | Percentage of patients scheduling their next visit before leaving |
From Sorso
Across the dental groups Sorso works with, overhead typically lands in the 62–68% band; practices drifting above 70% are almost always carrying staffing or lab cost issues we can isolate in the first 30 days.
Go deeper on dental
Sources
- ADA Health Policy Institute — Dental Practice Research: 2025 general-dentist net income $215,320 on average gross billings of $965,660, i.e. 22.3% AFTER owner compensation (both figures fetched and confirmed on the ADA page 2026-08-03). The profit-margin range on this page is measured BEFORE owner pay, which is why it reads higher.
- ZenOne — Dental Practice Overhead Benchmarks: healthy total overhead 55–65% of collections, national median ~62%
Where a published source states a figure, it is linked above. Ranges without a linked source are Sorso's own compiled estimates from client work and secondary industry reporting — they are not published association benchmarks, and we would rather say so than imply a citation we cannot show you.
Founder of Sorso and a CFA charterholder. Before Sorso, Stan spent 19 years in corporate finance at institutions including UniCredit and Société Générale — managing a $450M loan portfolio and making senior partner at a major mezzanine lender by 29 — then built a fractional CFO firm exclusively for outpatient healthcare clinics.
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