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Maximizing Dental Practice Performance

Introduction

This case study details a dental practice’s journey from 2022 to 2024, focused on enhancing operational efficiency, profitability, and organizational development. Through the implementation of scorecards, targeted marketing strategies, and team restructuring, the practice achieved significant improvements in collections and EBITDA.

Key Strategies

  1. Scorecard Implementation: Introduced KPIs to align team performance with measurable goals and insights, enabling real-time tracking and adjustments.
  2. Hygiene as a Profit Center: Optimized hygiene operations to improve patient retention and shift it from a break-even to a profit-generating department.
  3. Organizational Health and Team Dynamics: Conducted team meetings and performance reviews, fostering a cohesive environment and improving patient care.
  4. New Roles to Support Growth: Added an Office Manager and part-time Associate to extend operational hours and focus the lead doctor on high-value cases.
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By the numbers

  1. Collections Growth: Monthly collections rose from $72,093.78 in 2022 to $110,850.84 in 2024, marking a 53.7% increase (Figure 1).
  2. EBITDA Growth: Monthly EBITDA increased from $19,278.45 in 2022 to $27,742.81 in 2024, reflecting a 43.9% improvement (Figure 2).
  3. Marketing Efficiency: Increased monthly marketing spend sustainably to drive rapid growth and patient acquisition, enabling future capacity expansion.

Background

Our client, a five-operatory dental practice, sought to elevate their operational efficiency and profitability from 2022 through 2024. Our team introduced scorecards to capture revenues accurately, guided their marketing strategies for optimal efficiency, and supported internal organizational development.

Key Metrics and Improvements

  1. Collections Growthsome text
    1. 2022: Average monthly collections stood at $72,093.78.
    2. 2023: Through strategic interventions, collections increased to an average of $89,263.04 per month.
    3. 2024: Monthly collections reached $110,850.84.
  1. EBITDA Growthsome text
    1. 2022: Average monthly EBITDA was $19,278.45.
    2. 2023: Increased modestly to $21,150.40.
    3. 2024: Reached $27,742.81.
  1. Marketing Efficiencysome text
    1. In 2024, average monthly marketing spend rose to $5,793.77, up from $408.95 in 2022, allowing for sustainable growth and patient flow enhancement to support the hiring of additional Associates.

Strategic Interventions

  1. Scorecard Implementation: We introduced scorecards to track key performance indicators (KPIs) across all operations, aligning the team with measurable goals and insights. This allowed the practice to track real-time performance, aiding in swift, data-driven adjustments.
  2. Hygiene as a Profit Center: By optimizing hygiene operations, the practice shifted from a break-even department to a revenue-generating center, improving patient retention and service breadth.
  3. Organizational Health and Team Dynamics: All-team meetings, performance reviews, and structured feedback mechanisms helped build a cohesive team. The resultant improvement in team morale led to enhanced patient care and efficiency.
  4. New Roles to Support Growth: Hiring an Office Manager and a part-time Associate (PT) was planned to open Fridays, enhancing patient availability and boosting revenue. This addition allowed the lead doctor to focus on high-value cases while maintaining seamless operations.

Results and Future Outlook

This structured approach delivered notable financial outcomes, with collections growing by 53.7% and EBITDA rising 43.9% from 2022 to 2024. As we continue working with the practice, these foundational changes in marketing, operational efficiency, and team structure position them for sustained growth and profitability.