Abstract
This article argues that financial success is crucial for a thriving dental practice in today's competitive market, despite dentists often lacking sufficient business management training. It introduces practice analytics as a fundamental tool to optimize operations and maximize profitability, enabling dentists to scrutinize outputs, evaluate performance, and implement necessary changes to achieve their goals. Key metrics to track include the number of active patients, monthly collection numbers, the doctor-to-hygiene collection ratio (ideal 65% doctor, 35% hygiene), collection per active patient per year, profit, and various overhead expenses (staff, facility, lab, supply, administrative). The author emphasizes that regular tracking of these analytics provides an "early warning indicator" for potential issues and helps formulate practice improvement plans.
Recommended Citation
Houlihan, Patrick DDS
(2025)
"In these Challenging Times: Why Practice Analytics Are Your New Best Friend,"
The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association: Vol. 107:
No.
9, Article 8.
Available at:
https://commons.ada.org/journalmichigandentalassociation/vol107/iss9/8
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