How Much Does a Dentist Make Owning Their Own Practice? The Untold Truth + The $360K Passive Profit Hack

June 05, 2025
Topics: Dental
Written by: Lisa Rasmussen

How Smart Practice Owners Are Ditching PPOs and Adding $500K+ in Recurring Revenue

Join our exclusive course and discover the proven strategies that practices use to add $10,000+ in monthly recurring revenue with patient membership plans. Dr. Evans took this course and now has over 800 members and $37,000/mo of predictable recurring revenue. Watch this webinar before we take it down in 24 hours.

This course normally sells for $297.

But right now, I’m giving you access for just $47.

That’s cheaper than a hygiene cleaning.

And it could be the most profitable $47 you ever spend.

Get the Course Here → The Six-Figure Membership Plan Course

What You Will Learn:

- How to Build a Membership Plan That Pays You Monthly (Even While You Sleep!)

- Why PPOs Are Stealing Your Revenue—And How to Take Control of Your Profits

- The 3-Step System to Scale Recurring Revenue
(Even If You’ve Never Sold a Membership Plan Before!)

- The #1 Mistake Dentists Make When Dropping PPOs (And How to Avoid It!)

LIVE Case Study: How One Dentist Went from PPO-Dependent to $500K+/Year in Recurring Revenue With a Membership Program!

In dentistry today, PPOs are not your friend, they hurt your cash flow, demolish your profit margins, jeopardize your patient relationships & use A.I. to deny claims!!

If I had an employee or partner that messed up my business like that, I would FIRE them ASAP! 

$47. No fluff. Just results.

You in?

Owning a Dental Practice—Path to Wealth or Road to Burnout?

How much does a dentist make owning their own practice? So, you’re fresh out of dental school or deep into the trenches of practice ownership, asking the million-dollar question:

“How much does a dentist make owning their own practice?”

Here’s the answer no one tells you (but I will): It depends.
But the gap between just surviving and thriving can be six figures wide.

Some docs barely scrape $120K/year.
Others rake in $500K+ and chill in Costa Rica between patient recalls.
Same DDS. Same tools. Very different results.

What’s the difference?

It’s not location. It’s not how many crowns you prep.

It’s how you monetize your existing patient base and build recurring revenue. Welcome to the future: Dental Membership Programs powered by BoomCloud™.

Let’s break it all down…


Story: From Struggle to Scale — Dr. Torres & the Membership Masterplan

Dr. Luis Torres had what looked like a thriving practice on the outside:
✅ 4 ops
✅ 2 hygienists
✅ Digital scanner, same-day crowns, slick branding

But his bank account? Sadder than a wisdom tooth extraction without anesthetic.

Here’s why:

  • 80% of his revenue came from insurance reimbursements ( aka slow money)

  • Patient loyalty was lukewarm

  • Treatment acceptance was flaky at best

  • Overhead was gobbling 65% of collections

Enter BoomCloud™.

Dr. Torres launched an in-house membership program with 3 tiers:

  • Basic Plan – $25/month

  • Preventative Plan – $39/month

  • Cosmetic VIP Plan – $69/month

Within 12 months:

713 patients signed up
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) hit $21,497
Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) soared to $257,964
Membership patients generated 3.8x more revenue per year

Dr. Torres didn’t just increase his income. He gained freedom. And his practice valuation? Went through the roof.


Want to Boost What You Actually Take Home?

Forget new patients for a second.

The secret to making more money as a practice owner is simple:

Increase revenue per existing patient.
Add predictable, recurring income streams.
Own your cash flow. Don’t let insurance companies own you.

BoomCloud™ helps dentists like you launch, manage, and scale high-performing membership plans with:

✅ Automated payments & renewals
✅ Custom plans (preventative, perio, cosmetic)
✅ Reporting dashboards for MRR, ARR, churn
✅ Email/SMS reminders that drive engagement
✅ Easy integration with your current workflow

Try BoomCloud™ now


“I Don’t Need More Patients… I Need More Value Per Patient”

Dr. Torres’s mindset shift changed everything.

He stopped chasing volume and started optimizing value.

“I realized I was sitting on a goldmine — my patient base. BoomCloud™ gave me the pickaxe to extract it.”

Instead of chasing insurance crumbs and hoping for case acceptance, his membership patients were pre-paying monthly… and coming back more often for more services.

Now, his hygienists are fully booked, cancellations are down, and his days are less stressful. (And yes, he finally upgraded to that espresso machine in the break room ☕.)


The Real Numbers: What Dentists Make Owning Their Own Practice

Let’s answer the question you came here for.

Average associate dentist salary: $160,000/year
Average owner dentist income: $250,000 to $300,000/year
Top 10% of practice owners: $500,000 to $1M+ (yes, it’s real)

But here’s what those numbers don’t tell you:

If you’re insurance-heavy with 65%+ overhead and no MRR, you’re grinding harder for less.
If you build MRR via a membership program, your income is smoother, scalable, and not dependent on case acceptance alone.

Let’s say your practice signs up:

  • 500 patients on a $29/month plan

  • That’s $14,500/month in MRR

  • Annual: $174,000+ ARR — before ANY treatment is performed

Now layer in higher treatment acceptance, upsells, and loyalty… and suddenly your real income doesn’t just grow — it multiplies.


Cool Ideas to Boost Revenue With BoomCloud™ Memberships

Pro Tip: Use your membership plan as a business model, not just a discount club.

Here are spicy ideas to drive serious revenue:

Perio Plan

  • $59/month

  • 4 maintenance visits/year

  • Antibiotic irrigation & laser therapy included

  • Bonus: Members refer like crazy

Whitening + Cosmetic Bundle

  • $49/month

  • In-office whitening every 6 months

  • 10% off veneers

  • Free consultations = more accepted cases

Family Plan

  • $99/month covers 2 adults + 2 kids

  • Cleanings, exams, fluoride

  • Add-ons for ortho, sealants, etc.

Pro move: Bundle your plans with clear aligners or Botox to 10X your cosmetic ROI.


Case Study Recap: From 6 Figures of Stress to 7 Figures of Strategy

Dr. Torres went from $210K in annual take-home to $420K+ within 18 months.

Not by hiring more staff.
Not by buying a CBCT.
Not by hustling harder.

But by scaling MRR, increasing patient loyalty, and optimizing treatment per visit.

BoomCloud™ didn’t just grow his income. It gave him options. Time off. Control. Confidence.


❓ FAQs

How much can a solo practice owner realistically take home?
With smart systems and optimized revenue, $350K–$500K+ is achievable.

What’s the average overhead in a dental practice?
Nationwide average is 60–65%. Membership revenue helps smooth this by adding predictability and reducing dependency on insurance.

How fast can I launch a membership program with BoomCloud™?
Most practices are live within 1–2 weeks. Templates, training, and onboarding are included.

Do patients really pay monthly for dental care?
Heck yes. Think Netflix meets oral health. It’s a friction-free way to say yes to care.

Can I promote this without looking “salesy”?
Absolutely. Position your plan as a convenience + savings option. Highlight VIP perks, not discounts.

Will this replace my insurance patients?
No — it complements them. But you’ll attract more fee-for-service patients and reduce dependence on PPOs.


Conclusion: Stop Asking “How Much?” and Start Asking “How Smart?”

How much does a dentist make owning their own practice?

Wrong question.
✅ The real question is: How do you increase take-home income while working smarter, not harder?

Answer: Recurring revenue. Higher case acceptance. Patient loyalty.

That’s what BoomCloud™ delivers.

So if you want to build a high-income, low-stress, recession-proof dental business that works FOR you — start here:

Get your BoomCloud™ demo now


Inbound Link Suggestions:


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

Calculate Your Potential

with BoomCloud™

Recurring Revenue Growth Calculator

Discover the revenue potential of your practice’s membership plans. This calculator helps you project growth by analyzing key factors like patient volume, plan pricing, and service utilization. See how implementing a custom plan can boost your bottom line.

Revenue Calculator

 PPO Loss Calculator – How Much are YOU Losing?

Calculate the hidden costs of relying on traditional PPO plans. Our PPO Loss Calculator reveals the revenue you could be missing out on and helps you strategize for greater profitability with a membership-based model.

PPO Loss Calculator