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.

Leading

Recall forgetting

6-month recall appointments are booked so far in advance that patients simply forget. Forgetting is the single most commonly cited reason for missed appointments, and it is 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.