What Is Patient Lifetime Value (PLV) in a Dental Practice?
Patient Lifetime Value (PLV) is the total revenue a patient is expected to generate over their entire relationship with your practice — minus any associated costs.
It reflects how valuable each patient is to your business, not just at the first visit, but over years of treatment, maintenance, and plan membership.
PLV answers the question:
“What’s a new patient really worth — not just today, but over time?”
Why Patient LTV Matters for Dental Practice Owners
Most practices obsess over new patient numbers — but volume without value is a trap.
Tracking PLV helps you:
- Prioritise profitable patient types (e.g. cosmetic vs. emergency)
- Justify higher marketing spend for high-PLV treatments
- Predict future revenue from your active base
- Retain and reactivate patients with better ROI
- Avoid overspending on low-converting or low-value lead sources
Example:
- Hygiene-only patient = £65/year × 5 years = £325
- Invisalign + whitening + regular reviews = £4,800 over 3 years
→ Fewer patients, higher PLV= better profit with less stress
How to Calculate Patient PLV
| Component | Formula |
| Avg. Treatment Value | Total treatment revenue ÷ patient count |
| Avg. Visit Frequency | Number of visits per year |
| Avg. Retention Period | Years a patient stays |
| PLV | Avg. treatment value × visit frequency × retention period |
| Optional | Subtract cost of acquisition or servicing for net LTV |
DentPulse tracks this automatically per segment — hygiene, ortho, NHS, private — to power smarter marketing and chair planning.
How DentPulse Tracks and Applies PLV Insights
| Feature | Function |
| PLV by Source | See which channels (Google, Facebook, referrals) produce high-value patients |
| Treatment Mix Analysis | Links patient PLV to treatment profitability |
| Marketing ROI Engine | Calculates ROI based on actual PLV, not just bookings |
| Growth Forecasting | Projects long-term revenue from current active base |
| Segmentation Tools | Filters PLV by demographics, geography, or referral path |
DentPulse turns PLV from a vanity stat into a strategic growth lever.
DentPulse Tip™
If you don’t know your patient Patinet Lifetime Value,
you’re flying blind in marketing — and leaking money with every campaign.
High-LTV patients build profitable, stable practices — low-LTV patients often cost more than they bring.
Related Glossary Terms
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) – What it costs to bring in a new patient
- Treatment Plan Acceptance – Increases PLV through ongoing care
- Retention Rate – The longer they stay, the higher the PLV
- Marketing ROI – Requires PLV to measure true return
- Treatment Profitability – Must align with high-PLV service lines
Glossary Summary Table
| Term | Meaning |
| Patient Lifetime Value (PLV) | Total expected revenue from a patient over their full relationship with the practice |
| Purpose | Optimise marketing, retention, and treatment mix decisions |
| Financial Impact | Drives revenue stability, patient quality, and ROI |
| DentPulse Advantage | Tracks PLV by segment, source, and treatment — with live ROI feedback for smarter growth |
