How Many New Patients Does a Dental Practice Need?
Spoiler Alert: Less Than You Think—If You’re Doing It Right
Okay, dentist friends, let’s get real. How many new patients do you actually need to grow your practice? Is it 10? 50? 500? Before you start splurging on billboards and PPC ads to bring in a stampede of fresh faces, let’s talk about the not-so-sexy truth: attrition, retention, and growth rate.
Yep, those boring metrics are the secret sauce to unlocking sustainable practice growth. And here’s a hot take: you don’t need a revolving door of new patients if you have the right systems in place. Let’s break it down.
Patient Attrition: The Silent Revenue Killer
Patient attrition happens when patients ghost your practice—whether they move, forget their appointments, or simply decide to cheat on you with another dentist (rude, right?). The average dental practice loses about 17% of its patients annually.
So, if you’re not actively replacing those lost patients, your practice is basically treading water. And if your retention game is weak? Well, welcome to the hamster wheel of constantly chasing new patients to stay afloat.
Retention: Your Golden Goose
Here’s a mind-blowing stat: retaining an existing patient costs 5x less than acquiring a new one. Let that sink in. If you want sustainable growth, retention needs to be your BFF.
How Do You Improve Retention?
- Deliver VIP Patient Experiences: Make patients feel like rock stars when they walk through your door. Friendly staff, quick appointments, and personalized care go a long way.
- Launch a Membership Program: Membership patients are statistically more loyal because they’ve committed to your practice with their wallets.
- Target Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): Hint: It’s probably not PPO bargain hunters who jump ship for a $5 discount. Instead, focus on membership patients—we’ll explain why in a second.
How Membership Patients Solve Attrition Woes
Let’s talk about membership patients, aka the golden unicorns of dentistry. Unlike PPO patients (who treat your practice like a vending machine for insurance benefits), membership patients:
- Spend More: On average, membership patients spend 2.5x to 5x more than PPO patients annually.
- Stick Around: These patients have skin in the game—they’ve subscribed to your plan and feel invested in your practice.
- Say Yes to Treatment: Membership patients have a 40% case acceptance rate, compared to 30% for PPO patients.
With a membership plan, you’re not just reducing attrition; you’re also building a loyal patient base that pays predictable, recurring revenue.
Case Study: How BoomCloud™ Helped Smiles for Life Dental Crush It
Smiles for Life Dental knew they had an attrition problem and wanted to scale their revenue without relying on PPOs. They launched a membership program with BoomCloud™, and the results were mind-blowing:
By the Numbers
- Active Membership Patients: 1,354
- MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue): $47,390
- ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue): $568,680
- Patient Spend: Membership patients spent an average of $1,500/year, compared to $500/year for PPO patients.
How They Did It
- Membership Plan Launch: They used BoomCloud™ to create a simple, irresistible membership plan with perks like free cleanings and discounts on treatments.
- Targeted Marketing: With a clear ICP, they ran digital ads targeting uninsured patients and those tired of insurance headaches.
- Seamless Management: BoomCloud™ handled billing, renewals, and reporting, freeing up the team to focus on patient care.
How Many New Patients Do You Really Need?
Let’s do the math. If you’re losing 17% of your patients annually and want to grow by 10% per year, you need to replace those 17% plus add new patients to hit that growth target.
But here’s the kicker: with a membership program, you can reduce attrition to 5% or less while increasing patient loyalty and revenue. That means you’ll need far fewer new patients to grow.
Why BoomCloud™ Is a Game-Changer
If you’re serious about reducing attrition, boosting retention, and scaling revenue, BoomCloud™ is your secret weapon. Here’s what it can do:
- Build Membership Plans: Create customized plans that appeal to your ICP.
- Automate Billing: No more chasing payments or tracking renewals manually.
- Track KPIs: Monitor MRR, ARR, and patient spend with easy-to-use dashboards.
- Scale Seamlessly: Whether you have 100 members or 1,000, BoomCloud™ grows with you.
How to Start a Membership Plan with BoomCloud™
- Identify Your ICP: Focus on uninsured patients, families, and anyone fed up with PPO limitations.
- Create an Irresistible Offer: Free exams, discounts on cleanings, and VIP perks.
- Market Like a Pro: Use SEO, PPC, and social media to spread the word.
- Leverage Technology: Let BoomCloud™ handle the backend so you can focus on patient care.
- Track Your Metrics: Keep an eye on MRR, ARR, and patient churn to fine-tune your strategy.
Final Thoughts: Work Smarter, Not Harder
You don’t need a stampede of new patients every month to grow your dental practice. What you really need is a solid strategy to retain the ones you have while attracting high-value membership patients who will stick around, spend more, and sing your praises.
With BoomCloud™ in your corner, you’ll have the tools to crush attrition, skyrocket retention, and build a practice that’s as profitable as it is efficient. So, how many new patients does your practice really need? The answer might surprise you—and BoomCloud™ is here to help you figure it out.
