How to Make Money as a Dentist Without Burning Out or Selling Your Soul to PPOs

August 03, 2025
Topics: Dental
Written by: Ally Comstock

You Didn’t Go to Dental School to Be an Overworked PPO Robot

Let’s get real for a second.

You were promised a life of prestige, profit, and personal fulfillment when you became a dentist.

But now?

You’re staring down:

40% write-offs from PPOs
Patients ghosting your treatment plans
High overhead
Insurance drama
And a bank account that doesn’t reflect the sweat you put in

So the million-dollar question is…

How do you actually make money as a dentist — and build a practice that runs for you, not one that runs you into the ground?

Spoiler: it’s NOT by taking more CE.
It’s NOT by seeing more patients.
It’s DEFINITELY not by playing the PPO game harder.


The Dentist Who Made Money While He Slept (No, Not a Scam)

Let me tell you about Dr. Nate Erickson from Boise, Idaho.

Five years ago, Nate was stuck in the same rut most docs find themselves in:

  • Accepting every insurance under the sun

  • Relying on new patient volume like a hamster on a wheel

  • Bending over backward for reimbursements that came in months late

He was producing over $1M a year…
But taking home barely $180K. After taxes? Oof.

Then he discovered a simple business model shift that changed everything:
Dental Membership Plans + Recurring Revenue + MRR Tracking

Nate launched a membership plan using BoomCloud™, and in under a year, he built a predictable revenue stream that didn’t rely on insurance, didn’t stress out his team, and didn’t require him to add more hours to his schedule.


Want to Make Money as a Dentist? Build Recurring Revenue Like a SaaS Business

If you’re asking how to make money as a dentist in today’s landscape, here’s your formula:

The New Dental Business Model:

  1. Drop the worst PPOs

  2. Launch a custom in-house membership plan

  3. Use BoomCloud™ to manage it

  4. Track MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue)

  5. Boost revenue per patient (not just total patients)

This model works because:

✅ Patients pay YOU directly
✅ You get paid monthly, not eventually
✅ It builds loyalty
✅ It gives you leverage
✅ It’s profitable, predictable, and powerful


The Rich Dentists Don’t Work More — They Work Smarter

Dentists are obsessed with production.
But production is a vanity metric.

What really matters is profit, predictability, and peace of mind.

MRR gives you that.

MRR = Monthly Recurring Revenue
ARR = Annual Recurring Revenue
LTV = Lifetime Value of a Patient

Dentists who understand these numbers (and build business models around them) scale faster with less effort.

BoomCloud™ gives you the exact tools to make that shift — without becoming a full-blown software engineer or marketing guru.


From Barely Surviving to BOOMING with Membership Patients

Let’s go back to Dr. Erickson.

The BoomCloud™ Plan He Built:

  • $35/month membership

  • Includes 2 cleanings, 1 exam, x-rays, and 15% off all treatments

  • Targeted uninsured patients and small business owners

  • Used BoomCloud™ to automate renewals, billing, and plan growth

His Results (In 12 Months):

Metric Before BoomCloud™ After BoomCloud™
Monthly Recurring Rev $0 $16,780/mo
Annual Recurring Rev $0 $201,360/yr
Revenue per patient $852 $2,400+
PPO dependence 85% 35%
Team burnout High Low ✅

He now sleeps like a baby.
His team loves the consistency.
His patients feel like VIPs.

“This is the first time dentistry has felt like a real business. I finally feel in control.” — Dr. Erickson


HOW MEMBERSHIP PATIENTS MAKE YOU MORE MONEY

Here’s the math that most dentists miss:

Membership patients…

  • Accept 2x more treatment

  • Spend 3–4x more per year

  • Come back consistently

  • ️ Refer friends + family

  • Don’t whine about “my insurance didn’t cover it”

Instead of begging patients to return every 6 months…

You lock in loyalty + cash flow + freedom.


How to Make Money as a Dentist (The Smart Way)

Want to know what wealthy dentists actually focus on?

Smart Profit Levers:

  • High-revenue procedures like implants, Invisalign, and sleep

  • Membership plans for cash flow

  • Dropping low-paying PPOs

  • Hiring smarter, not harder

  • Marketing to high-LTV patients

BoomCloud™ Helps You:

  • Automate your membership billing

  • Track MRR and ARR in real-time

  • Promote your plan on your website

  • Increase revenue per patient

  • Grow a patient base that doesn’t flake


The Reality of Practice Economics

Factor Traditional Practice BoomCloud™ Model
MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) $0–$500/mo $10K–$25K+ ✅
ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) < $5,000 $100K–$300K ✅
Revenue Per Patient (RPP) $800–$1,200 $2,000–$4,000 ✅
Patient Loyalty Moderate Very High ✅
Insurance Headaches Constant Minimal ✅
Google Reviews Inconsistent Explosive w/ loyalty ✅

TAKE ACTION: The Fast Path to Wealth as a Dentist

You don’t need 100 more new patients a month.

You need:
✅ Better systems
✅ Predictable revenue
✅ Loyal patients
✅ Leverage

Here’s what to do next:

  1. Visit BoomCloudApps.com

  2. Schedule a demo

  3. Build your in-house membership plan

  4. Automate renewals, billing, and growth

  5. Track your MRR and smile all the way to the bank


How to Make Money as a Dentist (Without Losing Your Mind)

Stop chasing PPO scraps
Start thinking like a subscription business
Launch a BoomCloud™ membership plan
Watch your recurring revenue scale
Get better patients who stay and pay

Because the truth is:

The dentists who win today are the ones who build systems, not just skills.


Want Freedom? Then Build Revenue That Shows Up Whether You Do or Not

You became a dentist to help people, live well, and create freedom — not drown in insurance red tape and 12-hour days.

The real answer to how to make money as a dentist isn’t more procedures.
It’s more predictability. More leverage. More systems.

BoomCloud™ gives you all of that — wrapped in a platform that actually works.

Visit BoomCloudApps.com now
Turn your practice into a profit engine
And finally make the money you deserve — on your terms

Because if you’re gonna work this hard,
you better be getting rich doing it.

My Top Podcasts

How Smart Practice Owners Attract, Retain & Create Recurring Revenue

Get the book that’s helping over 65,000  practices ditch insurance, boost cash flow, and create financial freedom with a patient membership program.

Membership Plans For Optometrists

vision-membership-plan-ebook Creating a patient membership plan is the smartest strategy to implement in your practice. You will increase patient satisfaction & loyalty, Increase predictable recurring revenue & increase sales!

Fire The PPOs!

Say goodbye to PPOs and hello to a thriving, independent dental practice. Don’t miss out – your journey to financial freedom starts here!

Subscribe to Our Podcasts!

Jordon Comstock

Author Bio

Jordon Comstock is the Founder & CEO of BoomCloud™, a software that allows practice, clinic & spa owners to build, manage and scale a membership program. This helps practice & clinic owners to create recurring revenue & improve loyalty via membership programs. Jordon is passionate about Music, Hawaii, Healthcare businesses like: dentistry, optometry, med spas and massage spas. Schedule a demo of BoomCloud™ and learn how membership programs can improve your business. Here are more dental books to improve your practice

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