How Many New Patients per Month Should a Dental Practice Attract?

As many as you can, or as many as you can keep?

The number of new patients your dental practice should attract each month depends on a few key factors: your goals, capacity, and local competition. Some established general practices thrive with 20–30 new patients monthly, while newer or growth-focused offices may aim for 40 or more. But it’s not just about numbers. Patient retention, case acceptance, and visit frequency often matter more than volume.

Attracting more patients won’t help if they don’t stay, follow through with care, or fit your practice’s offerings. The goal is sustainable growth: drawing in the right number of patients while delivering excellent experiences that lead to long-term relationships.

Key Takeaways

The number of new patients an individual dental practice needs to attract to be successful and sustain growth depends on its unique characteristics.
Practices should use a mix of marketing strategies to attract new patients. The most effective strategies use media popular with the desired patient demographic.
Keeping accurate records of where new patients come from and what services they received helps refine marketing strategies and messages.
Patient retention plays just as much of a role in practice success as patient acquisition. Patient acquisition rates can be lower if patient retention and value are high.

How many new patients can your practice handle?

Before setting a new patient goal, think about your current capacity. Do you have available chairs, flexible schedules, and a team ready to handle more traffic? If your front desk is already overwhelmed, adding more new patients could cause delays, stress, and missed opportunities.

Review how many providers you have, how many appointments you can realistically offer per day, and how efficiently your systems work. Also, consider your marketing effectiveness. What’s your budget, how well are your campaigns converting, and are you reaching your target audience?

Every practice has a ceiling. The goal is to grow within your limits without compromising patient care or team satisfaction.

How to calculate your ideal new patient goal

Set data-driven goals based on your location, specialty, and capacity rather than copying other practices. Use these essential calculation steps:

Analyze your practice data: Review 6 to 12 months of new patient volume, retention, case acceptance, and recall enrollment. Pair this with local demographics and demand to understand acquisition and revenue potential.
Evaluate competition and opportunities: Research nearby practices, reviews, and local rankings to spot gaps you can fill and to set realistic expectations for your area.
Align budget with goals: Estimate patient acquisition cost and multiply by your monthly target to confirm your spend is sustainable. Use tools like Precheck to reduce intake friction and improve conversion from lead to booked visit.

Best strategies for bringing new patients to your dental practice

The best approach is a mix of strategies that reinforce each other. Relying on just one source, like word of mouth or ads, can limit growth. Here are proven ways to attract new patients consistently:

Implement a strong patient referral program

Encourage your current patients to refer others by offering a thank-you incentive, such as a small credit or a gift card. Referrals often bring in the most loyal and easy-to-please patients.

Leverage social media marketing effectively

Use platforms like Instagram and Facebook to share before-and-after photos (with permission), introduce your team, and post helpful dental tips. Engaging content builds familiarity and trust with potential patients.

Optimize your website for local SEO

Make sure your practice appears when people search "dentist near me." Update your Google Business Profile, include local keywords on your site, and ensure your NAP (name, address, phone) is consistent across the web.

Host community outreach events

Attend local fairs, partner with schools, or offer free dental days. These activities create goodwill and give people a reason to remember your name when they need a dentist.

Offer introductory specials for new patients

Discounted cleanings or exams can lower the barrier to entry. These visits give patients a chance to see your quality of care, which increases the chances they’ll stay.

Deliver an outstanding patient experience

People talk. If you make patients feel welcome, respected, and cared for, they’re more likely to refer others and leave positive reviews. This kind of organic growth is powerful and free.

How to accurately measure patient acquisition rate

Use your practice management system and marketing tools to track real data, not estimates. Here are some key measurement methods:

Track monthly new patients: Log every new patient, referral source, and initial services to see growth rate and seasonality.
Monitor campaign performance: Use call tracking and web analytics to measure conversion and identify top channels.
Calculate net growth rate: Compare new patient acquisition to attrition to understand true growth.
Measure retention rates: Track how many new patients return for hygiene and follow-up care to gauge long-term value.

Which marketing channels work best for attracting new patients?

Different marketing channels reach different audiences, so the most effective strategy often combines several. Your website and Google listings are your digital front door; most new patients will check those first. Make sure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and has up-to-date contact information.

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps people find you when they search for services in your area. Google Ads can quickly place your practice at the top of search results, especially for high-intent keywords like “emergency dentist near me.”

Social media helps humanize your practice. Posting team updates, fun office moments, or educational content keeps you visible and builds trust. At the same time, don’t underestimate traditional approaches. Referral programs, postcards, and community involvement still bring in patients, especially in smaller towns or older demographics.

Tracking which channels lead to actual appointments will help you refine your mix over time. A well-balanced strategy spreads risk, reaches more people, and gives you the best chance of steady patient flow.

How important is patient retention versus acquisition?

Bringing in new patients is exciting, but keeping them is what makes a practice profitable. Research shows that increasing patient retention by even 5% can raise profitability significantly, thanks to lower marketing costs and more consistent revenue from repeat visits.

Retention is driven by experience. Patients return when they feel respected, understood, and cared for. Good communication, helpful staff, clear billing, and consistent follow-up all contribute. Your recall system is just as important as your ads.

That doesn’t mean you should stop focusing on new patient acquisition. Growth requires both—bringing in new faces and keeping them coming back. The most successful practices focus on delivering great care from day one, so each new patient has a reason to stay.

Finding the right balance of new patients for your practice

There’s no magic number that works for every dental office. What matters is finding a pace of growth that fits your team, your space, and your goals. For some practices, 15 new patients a month is perfect. For others, 40 may be the sweet spot.

Start by understanding your current capacity and adjusting your goals to avoid burnout or long wait times. Then work on building a mix of marketing strategies that bring in a steady stream of the right kinds of patients: those who stay, follow through with care, and contribute to a healthy, thriving practice.

Growth is easier to manage when you measure what matters, focus on experience, and stay consistent. New patients are important, but it’s how you care for them that shapes your long-term success.

FAQs

Do different practice types need different numbers of new patients?

A general practice might aim for 20–30 new patients a month, while a specialty office like orthodontics or periodontics may need fewer because of longer treatment plans and higher case value. Your goals should reflect your clinical focus, appointment lengths, and how many patients you can realistically manage.

What factors affect new patient acquisition targets?

Several factors play a role, including your provider schedule, how many operatories you have, your marketing budget, local competition, and patient retention. Your practice’s growth stage also matters. New offices usually aim higher to build their base, while established ones may focus more on keeping the right pace.

What percentage of new patients typically become regular patients?

This varies by practice, but a healthy target is around 60%–70%. Not every new patient will return, so it's important to track how many schedule follow-ups or join your recall system. High retention usually indicates a good patient experience and strong systems in place.

How can a dental practice lower patient attrition?

Focus on communication and consistency. Send appointment reminders, make follow-up calls, and explain treatment plans clearly. Patients are more likely to stay if they feel valued, understand their care, and trust your team. A good recall system and friendly front office staff can also make a big difference.