What Is Treatment Profitability in Dentistry?
Treatment Profitability measures how much profit each dental treatment generates after accounting for all direct and indirect costs — such as associate pay, lab fees, materials, and chair time.
It shows which treatments grow practice wealth and which erode margins.
Why Does Treatment Profitability Matter for Dental Practice Owners?
Not all treatments are equal.
- Some deliver high revenue but low margin (e.g. NHS UDAs).
- Others deliver lower volume but higher profit (e.g. implants, aligners, cosmetic work).
Without measuring profitability at the treatment level, practices risk:
- Overloading diaries with unprofitable treatments.
- Paying associates well while the practice loses money.
- Misallocating marketing spend to low-margin services.
Example:
- Invisalign case: Revenue £3,000 → Costs £1,200 (associate pay + labs + materials + chair time).
- Net Profit = £1,800 (60% margin).
- Whitening case: Revenue £250 → Costs £200 → Net Profit = £50 (20% margin).
→ Invisalign is 12x more profitable, despite only 12x the revenue.
What Costs Affect Treatment Profitability?
| Category | Examples |
| Associate Pay % | 40–50% split of revenue |
| Lab Fees | Crown, bridge, ortho aligner lab costs |
| Materials | Composites, disposables, clinical consumables |
| Chair Time | Cost per hour to run surgery (rent, staff, utilities) |
| Financing Costs | If treatment is offered on patient finance |
How Does DentPulse Track Treatment Profitability?
| Feature | Function |
| Treatment Profitability Index™ (TPOI™) | Ranks treatments by profit margin |
| Cost Allocation Engine | Assigns lab, material, and chair costs automatically |
| APEX™ Overlay | Links treatment profitability to associate productivity |
| PCPT™ Integration | Connects profitability to chair utilisation |
| Profit-to-Pocket™ | Shows how treatment mix affects safe owner drawings |
DentPulse makes treatment profitability visible and actionable in real time.
DentPulse Tip™
“Revenue fills the diary.
Profitability fills your pocket.
Know the difference at the treatment level.”
Related Glossary Terms
- High-Margin Treatments – core driver of practice wealth
- Treatment Profitability Index (TPOI™) – DentPulse’s ranking engine
- Associate Pay Benchmark – key input for treatment costs
- Revenue per Chair Hour – productivity measure linked to profitability
- Profit Triangle™ – framework connecting associates, chairs, treatments
Glossary Summary Table
| Term | Meaning |
| Treatment Profitability | Net profit from each treatment after all costs |
| Purpose | Identify which treatments grow vs drain wealth |
| DentPulse Advantage | Tracks costs per treatment, ranks profitability via TPOI™ |
