Dental practice register.

General dentistry, hygiene, cosmetic, orthodontics, oral surgery. Five segment presets including treatment-plan disruption math for ortho.

Dental practice register

Pick a practice type for industry benchmarks pre-filled.

Live entry

Chair inputs

Appointments per day16

No-show rate20%

Revenue per appointment$250

Annual totals

Annual no-show cost

$248,000

3.2 no-shows per day

$200,000

Direct revenue

$48,000

Chair + staff

FOLIO 06 · Dynamics

Dental-specific no-show dynamics

Hygiene recall (highest frequency)

20 to 25%

6-month recall appointments are the most frequently missed. Patients feel less urgency for preventive care. Average no-show rate 20 to 25%. At $150/cleaning, a 10-chair practice losing 15% of hygiene slots loses $45,000 to $60,000/yr from hygiene alone.

Cosmetic and implants (highest cost)

10 to 15%

Lower no-show rate (10 to 15%) but highest economic impact per missed slot. An implant consultation no-show at $1,200 is a day's revenue lost. Pre-consultation deposits of $100 to $200 are now standard in cosmetic dentistry.

Orthodontic adjustments (compounding)

18 to 22%

Missing an Invisalign adjustment delays the entire treatment sequence by 2 to 4 weeks and may require a new set of aligners. A single missed adjustment in a 24-visit plan extends total treatment time and disrupts case scheduling.

Oral surgery (lowest rate, highest prep)

8 to 12%

Oral surgery no-shows are relatively rare (8 to 12%) but the staff preparation cost is the highest of any dental appointment type. Surgical tray setup, anesthesia prep, assistant blocking.

FOLIO 07 · Why

Why dental patients no-show

15 to 20%

Dental anxiety

CDC data: 15 to 20% of US adults have clinically significant dental anxiety. This group cancels and no-shows at 2 to 3x the baseline rate, particularly for invasive procedures.

~40%

Cost concerns without insurance

Patients without dental insurance or with high out-of-pocket costs are significantly more likely to no-show for elective and discretionary care when costs become salient.

60%

Recall forgetting

6-month recall appointments are booked so far in advance that patients simply forget. This is the 60% majority cause, directly addressed by two-stage SMS reminders.

FOLIO 08 · Software

Dental software comparison

Platform	Best for	Starting price	Key features
NexHealth	Modern dental practices	$300 to $600/mo	Modern API, two-way SMS, online booking, patient portal
Weave	Small dental and primary care	$300 to $500/mo	VoIP + reminders bundle, strong dental integrations
RevenueWell	Mid-market dental	$250 to $450/mo	Dental-specific recall system, patient communication
Lighthouse 360	Multi-location dental groups	$300 to $500/mo	Automated recalls, automated follow-ups
Yapi	Paperless dental offices	$200 to $400/mo	Digital forms, reminders, reviews integration

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FOLIO 09 · Related

Medical practices Behavioral health Reduce no-shows Benchmarks Tools NHS dental costs (UK) &nearr;

Margin notes

What is the dental no-show rate?+

Dental practices average 15-25% no-show rates, with hygiene recall appointments at the higher end (20-25%) and surgical procedures at the lower end (8-12%). Orthodontic practices see 18-22% rates but with compounding treatment-plan disruption.

How do you reduce dental no-shows?+

Two-stage SMS reminders (48hr + 2hr), treatment-plan calendar syncing, insurance-verification reminders, same-day chair-gap waitlists for hygiene, and a clear cancellation policy disclosed at scheduling.

How much does a dental no-show cost?+

A general dentistry practice with 20 appointments per day at $250 average revenue and a 20% no-show rate loses approximately $250,000 per year in direct revenue. For cosmetic and implant practices with $600-$1,200 per appointment, a single no-show costs $600-$1,200 plus chair preparation, assistant time, and sterilization costs.