The top 10% of dental practices schedule an average of 107 appointments per day, according to Henry Schein One's 2024 Industry Report.
The dental software company collected data and calculated performance benchmarks for more than 2,500 dental practices in the U.S. The report, released May 28, aims to help dental offices measure performance and make informed decisions about their businesses.
The company pointed out in its report that no-show rates among dental practices dropped from 7% in 2022 to 4% in 2023. Some of the tips included in the report to improve patient retention include providing online scheduling options, automating appointment confirmations and post-visit surveys, and being proactive with scheduling follow-ups.
Here are 18 statistics that compare the average dental practice to the top 10% of dental practices in the U.S. in several categories, including patient retention, appointment cancellations and appointment lead times:
Average new patients per month
Average: 35
Top 10%: 86
Average appointments per day
Average: 36
Top 10%: 107
Average patient retention rate
Average: 57%
Top 10%: 99%
Average no-show rate
Average: 4%
Top 10%: 1%
Average confirmation rate
Average: 44%
Top 10%: 87%
Average cancellation rate
Average: 12%
Top 10%: 1%
Average reappointment rate
Average: 77%
Top 10%: 94%
Average appointment lead time (new patients)
Average: 39 days
Top 10%: 5.4 days
Average appointment lead time (emergency)
Average: 6 days
Top 10%: less than 1 day