What Is Chair Cost per Hour in a Dental Practice?
Chair cost per hour is the average expense of running a dental surgery chair for one working hour — including fixed and support costs.
It shows the baseline cost of keeping a surgery operational before a single patient is treated.
Why Chair Cost per Hour Matters for Dental Practice Owners
Every hour a dental chair sits unused still incurs costs: rent, nursing, utilities, depreciation, and equipment leases.
Without knowing your hourly chair cost, you can’t measure:
- Whether treatments are priced profitably
- If associates are producing above their cost threshold
- How much lost revenue every gap or no-show represents
Example:
- Monthly fixed costs (allocated to one chair): £12,000
- Hours available: 160 per month
- Chair cost per hour = £75
If an associate generates £100/hour, profit margin is thin. If they produce £300/hour, the chair is highly profitable.
Formula for Chair Cost per Hour
Chair Cost per Hour=Total Allocated Chair CostsAvailable Chair Hours\text{Chair Cost per Hour} = \frac{\text{Total Allocated Chair Costs}}{\text{Available Chair Hours}}Chair Cost per Hour=Available Chair HoursTotal Allocated Chair Costs
- Chair Costs = rent, rates, utilities, nurse support, equipment leases, depreciation
- Available Hours = operating days × hours per day (excluding weekends and holidays)
How DentPulse Tracks Chair Cost per Hour
| Feature | Function |
| PCPT™ (Profit Centre Performance Tracker) | Allocates fixed + support costs to each chair |
| Utilisation Overlay | Compares available vs. booked chair hours |
| Treatment Mapping | Links treatment revenue to hourly chair cost |
| Scenario Modelling | Forecasts financial impact of new chairs or schedule changes |
DentPulse makes chair cost per hour visible, precise, and tied to associate performance.
DentPulse Tip™
“If you don’t know your chair cost per hour, you can’t know if your pricing or associates are truly profitable.
This is one of the hidden levers in the Profit Triangle™.”
Related Glossary Terms
- Chair Time Utilisation – Percentage of available chair hours filled with patients
- Appointment Gaps (Lost Chair Time) – Cost of empty slots measured against chair cost per hour
- Hourly Profit per Chair – Revenue generated minus chair cost per hour
- Fixed Expenses – Overheads included in chair running cost
- Associate Pay Structure – Must be evaluated against chair cost per hour
Glossary Summary Table
| Term | Meaning |
| Chair Cost per Hour | Average fixed + support cost of running a dental chair for one hour |
| Purpose | Determine profitability of treatments and associate production |
| DentPulse Advantage | Automated cost allocation + scenario modelling via PCPT™ |
