When your hygienist calls in sick or quits without notice, every cancelled appointment costs your practice hundreds in lost revenue. Here’s the real financial impact and how to protect your chairs.
The Panic of the Late-Night Call-Out
It’s 8 PM. Your hygienist just texted you, “I’m sick and can’t come in tomorrow.” Your assistant gave two weeks’ notice on Friday. Suddenly, you’re staring at 8 scheduled appointments and no one to see them.
You have two choices: hope one of your other employees will come in on their day off, or make the dreaded calls to cancel patients. Each “I’m sorry, we need to reschedule” conversation represents money walking out the door.
The harsh reality is that every appointment you cancel due to staffing costs your practice $350+ when you factor in all the hidden costs, and that’s just the beginning.
The True Cost of Appointment Cancellations
When you break down every cost associated with cancelling appointments due to staff shortages, the real impact is much higher than just lost revenue.
Immediate Revenue Loss: $259+ Per Appointment
According to the ADA’s 2023 report, the average revenue per patient works out to about $259 when you divide gross income by annual patient count. For practices offering high-value treatments, the average can climb even higher. And here’s the real cost of cancellations: when patients can’t get those services from you, they’re not just disappearing. More often than not, they’re booking with your competitors.
Labor Costs Without Production: $25-40 Per Hour
Your remaining staff are still on the clock, but now they’re handling cancellation calls instead of generating revenue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, dental assistants and front office staff earn $15-25 per hour. Your team that normally supports $150-250 per hour in patient production is now costing you $25-40 per hour with zero billable activity.
Overhead Expenses Don’t Stop: $90-100 Per Appointment
Your practice expenses don’t pause when staff shortages force patient cancellations. Rent, utilities, equipment leases, and supplies all continue to accumulate costs. Research from the Dental Economics Annual Practice Survey shows that overhead expenses (not including team expenses) represent about 38% of gross revenue. Using the ADA’s $259 average per-patient figure, this adds another $90-$100 to your per-cancellation loss.
The Ripple Effect
When patients get cancelled due to your staffing issues, many don’t reschedule; they find a new dentist. One survey found that 42% of patients said they would switch providers after being rescheduled just 2 times. Losing a patient who visits twice yearly at $259 per visit costs your practice $518 annually, plus their lifetime value, which can exceed $3,000-5,000 over time.
How to Stop Losing Money to Staff Shortages
Build Flexible Coverage into Your Practices’ Staffing:
The most effective solution is having reliable access to qualified professionals who can fill gaps immediately. Modern dental talent platforms, like GoTu, connect you with vetted dental professionals available for last-minute coverage, eliminating the need to cancel appointments.
Track Your True Cancellation Costs:
Monitor and calculate:
- Revenue lost per cancelled appointment by procedure type
- Frequency of staff-shortage cancellations
- Patient defection rates following cancellations
- Total annual impact on practice profitability
Strengthen Patient Communication:
When a cancellation is unavoidable, proactive communication can reduce the long-term fallout. Use text, email, or phone updates to reschedule quickly, and consider offering priority booking or small incentives to retain patient loyalty.
Forecast & Plan Ahead:
Review seasonal trends (like summer vacations or flu season) and historical absence data to predict when shortages are most likely. Planning helps you post coverage needs earlier and avoid last-minute cancellations.
Protect Long-Term Revenue:
Remember, cancellations aren’t just about same-day losses. They also erode patient trust, reduce referrals, and can lower case acceptance rates. Protecting your staffing capacity is also protecting your growth potential.
Protect Your Revenue with Reliable Coverage
Staff shortages don’t have to derail your practice’s profitability. With GoTu, you can build flexible coverage into your strategy so open chairs never mean lost revenue.
Whether it’s a last-minute sick call, an unexpected resignation, or a planned vacation, GoTu connects you with vetted dental professionals ready to step in and keep your schedule full. No more scrambling, no more cancelled appointments, just seamless coverage and steady revenue.
Dental practices across the country are already using GoTu to protect their bottom line and keep every chair productive. Isn’t it time you did the same?
