Dentists Don’t Calculate Average New Dental Patient Value

Three out of four dentists haven't calculated the average new patient value at their practice, this survey found.

Overall, dentists estimate the value of a new patient in the first nine months to be about $1,000. But some dentists had calculated it to be as little as $500, while for others it was up to $3,000.

Interestingly, those dentists who actually knew their average new patient value reported a higher value than the dentists who were just estimating – $1,200 versus $900, respectively.

So there would seem to be a correlation between tracking patient value and having high value new patients.

In a recent comment on this blog, one dentist complained:

Increasing the number of dentists… will lead to unethical behavior on the part of docs trying to make a living because insurance companies are now dictating fees and therefore treatment. Dentists in metropolitan areas are having to resort to all sorts of marketing tactics to get patients instead of concentrating on quality care. I see dental consultants touting things like, 'How much is each new patient worth to your bottom line?' If we were all busy why would we care? I never see, 'How to deliver the highest quality most conservative treatment to your patients.'

This sentiment was repeated by another dentist who asked, "Who cares?" (That dentist, by the way, estimates the average value of new dental patient at his practice to be $500.)

To me, that question answers itself. "Who cares?" Hey, maybe the guy whose new patients are only worth half as much as other dentists average – maybe he should care!

The fact is, any dental consultant worth their salt will ask about your new patient value. I know some dentists are nostalgic for the sort of old-fashioned dentistry where word-of-mouth was all the dental marketing a doctor needed — or was legally permitted.

But the future keeps right on rolling. Dentists aren't just medical practitioners; they're also business people. If you don't keep track of your bottom line, you don't get to practice dentistry.

Read more: New Patient Value? Dentists Don't Know It