Running a successful dental practice isn’t just about great chairside care; it’s about making smart business moves backed by reliable data. Whether you’re optimizing your hygiene schedule, tackling patient retention, or analyzing revenue, these key dental industry statistics reveal what’s shaping success in 2025 and beyond.
1. Average Dental Practice Revenue
Current data shows general dentistry practices report an annual gross billing of $666,060 to $942,290. This number can vary significantly based on location, patient demographics, and services offered. Some of the top dental practices often exceed $2 million annually.
Why this matters: If your practice falls significantly below this benchmark, it may indicate opportunities to optimize scheduling, expand services, or improve treatment acceptance rates.
2. Hygiene Department Production
Hygiene departments should contribute 30-40% of total practice production, making your hygiene team one of your most valuable revenue generators.
Why this matters: If your hygiene department produces less than 30% of total revenue, you may be underutilizing this department through inadequate scheduling, staffing shortages, low recare rates, or missed perio therapy opportunities.
3. No-Show Rates
In the United States, about 15 percent of dental appointments result in no-shows, and some practices report rates as high as 30 percent. Each missed appointment leads to an average loss of 45 to 60 minutes of productive chair time. The main reasons include forgetfulness, which causes about 36 percent of no-shows, and dental fear or anxiety, which accounts for about 15 percent.
Why this matters: Implementing confirmation systems, waitlist management, and scheduling policies can help reduce no-show rates and recapture lost revenue.
4. New Patient Growth
The average dental practice needs between 20 and 40 new patients each month to sustain growth after factoring in natural attrition and turnover. This number can vary depending on your circumstances or growth goals.
Why this matters: If your new patient numbers are declining, it signals problems with marketing, patient experience, or online reputation that will eventually impact production.
5. Dental Hygienist Shortage
The United States is projected to face a dental hygienist shortage through 2030 as demand continues to outpace the number of new graduates entering the workforce. According to the ADA Health Policy Institute, 62 percent of dentists surveyed in late 2024 identified staffing shortages as their biggest challenge for 2025. In some states, vacancy rates for dental hygienists exceed 20 percent, showing just how severe the issue is.
Why this matters: This shortage makes hiring and retaining quality hygienists increasingly competitive and expensive. Practices will need to use staffing solutions and strong retention strategies to continue operating at full capacity.
6. Temporary Staffing Usage
About three in four dental practices report difficulty maintaining full staffing levels, leading many to turn to temporary or flexible workforce solutions. The use of temporary dental professionals has risen steadily over the past several years as offices seek to maintain productivity during staff absences or vacancies.
Why this matters: According to the ADA Health Policy Institute, labor shortages have reduced dental practice capacity nationwide by roughly 11 percent. Having a reliable strategy for temporary coverage helps protect production and patient care when team members are unavailable.
7. Dental Anxiety in Patients
According to dental industry research, about 36 percent of Americans experience dental anxiety, and 12 percent suffer from severe dental fear that prevents them from visiting a dentist.
Why this matters: Practices that offer sedation options, comfort-focused amenities, and compassionate communication are better equipped to serve this underserved group. By creating a calming and patient-centered experience, dental practices can attract and retain a highly loyal patient base.
Staying competitive means knowing your numbers and adapting fast. From optimizing hygiene production to navigating staffing shortages, data-driven decisions help practices thrive. And when you need reliable coverage to protect your production, platforms like GoTu make finding verified dental professionals simple.
