Knowledge Base
May 2026 Benchmarking Report: Top-Quartile Gap Continues to Widen
May 2026 dental practice operating data: median collections $844,200, top quartile $1,185,310, overhead 61.8%, hygienist wage $48.44/hr.
Knowledge Base
April 2026 Benchmarking Report: The Top-Quartile Gap Is Widening
Q1 2026 dental practice operating data: median solo GP flat at $840K, top quartile up 5.4% to $1.18M. Plus regional hygienist comp forecasts, PPO write-off trends, and the case acceptance gap that’s separating winners from the pack.
Knowledge Base
Salary vs % of Production: What Your Associate Contract Actually Means
The two main associate compensation models explained with real numbers - salary ranges, production percentages, and which model favors whom.
Knowledge Base
Your Overhead Is Probably 62%. Here's Exactly What That Means.
The national median dental overhead is 62%. Here's the full breakdown by category - and what high-performing practices do differently.
Knowledge Base
31.8% of Dentists Are Dropping PPOs. Here's the Playbook.
Nearly 1 in 3 dentists plan to leave PPO networks. The math stopped working when hygienist wages jumped 30-40% but reimbursements stayed frozen.
Knowledge Base
What's Your Practice Worth? It Depends on Who's Buying.
The same practice can sell for $720K or $4M depending on the buyer. EBITDA multiples range from 1.8x to 12x. Here's why.
Knowledge Base
It Costs $650K-$950K to Start a Dental Practice in 2026. Here's the Breakdown.
The real cost breakdown for opening a dental practice in 2026 - from buildout and equipment to working capital and the first-year overhead reality.
Knowledge Base
1 in 3 Dental Practices Have Been Hacked. Here's Your Defense Playbook.
Over a third of dental practices have been breached. The Change Healthcare incident affected 192.7M people. Your 40-item defense checklist is inside.
Knowledge Base
The 12 Numbers That Tell You If Your Practice Is Healthy
12 KPIs every practice owner should track - with benchmark targets, calculation formulas, and a review cadence that takes 15 minutes a week.
Knowledge Base
The Dental Signal Knowledge Base
10 data-driven reference guides for dental practice owners. Overhead benchmarks, PPO exit playbooks, valuation guides, KPI dashboards, and more.
Knowledge Base
Membership Plans Are Replacing PPOs. Here's How to Set One Up.
200 members at $35/month = $84K/year in recurring revenue. No write-offs, no denied claims, no middleman. Here's how to build it.
Knowledge Base
You Can't Find a Hygienist. Neither Can Anyone Else. Here's the Data.
76% of practices find recruiting hygienists extremely challenging. Wages hit $45-$60/hr. Here's the compensation data and retention math.