Definitive Dental Practice Benchmarking Guide
National benchmarks for overhead, production, staffing, and collections. Data sources, methodology, and how to use benchmarking to find hidden profit.
Everything you need to benchmark your dental practice against national averages. This guide covers overhead, production, staffing, collections, and valuation - with data sources you can verify.
Why Benchmarking Matters
Most practice owners know their top-line revenue. Far fewer know whether their 62% overhead is normal (it is) or whether their $1,800/day hygiene production is above average (it's slightly below). Benchmarking tells you where you stand - and more importantly, where the money is hiding.
Key National Benchmarks (2025-2026)
| Metric | National Avg | Top Quartile |
|---|---|---|
| Total Overhead | 59.5% | 54-56% |
| Staff Costs (% of collections) | 27.1% | 24-25% |
| Supply Costs | 5.8% | 4.5-5.0% |
| Lab Costs | 8-10% | 6-7% |
| Facility Costs | 5-7% | 4-5% |
| Collection Rate | 96-98% | 98-99% |
| Production/Provider/Day | $2,100-2,500 | $3,000+ |
| Hygiene Production/Day | $1,800-2,200 | $2,500+ |
| New Patients/Month | 20-30 | 40+ |
| No-Show Rate | 15-20% | <10% |
Data Sources
- ADA Health Policy Institute - Income, billing, and practice survey data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics - Dental staff wages and employment trends
- Dental Economics - Annual overhead and production surveys
- DentalPost - Salary surveys for hygienists, assistants, and front desk
- ADSO - DSO market and M&A activity reports
How to Use This Data
- Start with overhead. Run your numbers through our Overhead Calculator and compare category by category.
- Find the outlier. If your staff costs are 31% vs. the 27% average, that's a $40K gap on $1M collections. That's where to focus.
- Track monthly. One snapshot isn't useful. Track your benchmarks monthly and watch for trends.
- Go deeper with Pro. Pro subscribers receive monthly benchmarking reports with updated data, regional breakdowns, and trend analysis.
Disclaimer: Benchmarks are national averages compiled from published sources. Your results will vary based on location, specialty, payer mix, and practice size. Use as directional guidance, not absolute targets.