Dental Patient Churn Rate – Benchmarks and Insights

Type of Practice	Annual Patient Churn Rate
General Dental Practice	15% – 25%
Corporate/DSO Practices	20% – 30%
High-performing Offices	<10%
Offices with Poor Recall	30%+

⚠️ Churn > 20% often signals poor hygiene reactivation, inconsistent communication, or lack of follow-up.

Common Causes of Churn

1. Missed hygiene recall (patients fall off schedule)

2. Inconvenient appointment times

3. Billing misunderstandings

4. Long wait times or rushed care

5. Lack of communication/reminders

6. Change in insurance coverage

7. Moving or relocation

Why Churn Hurts Revenue

• Replacing a lost patient typically costs 5–10x more than retaining one.

• Losing just 20 patients/month = ~$60,000–$100,000/year in lost production.

• Hygiene churn directly reduces restorative opportunities down the road.

How Successful Practices Reduce Churn

• Proactive hygiene recall system (text, call, email reminders)

• Same-day treatment and re-care scheduling before patient leaves

• Using Voice AI and SMS tools to reduce no-shows and missed recalls

• Personalized communication (birthday texts, follow-ups, review requests)

• Real-time online scheduling and easier rescheduling options