Attention: Dental Entrepreneurs: “If you’re average, get mad and fix it.”
That’s a line in the recent Business Wire article that I stand by 100%.
I said that in response to the newly released Catalyst Index by Henry Schein One—a data-backed breakdown of what separates the top 10% of dental entrepreneurs from everyone else. Spoiler alert: the gap is massive. And it’s not about talent—it’s about intentional action.
The numbers are clear, and they should light a fire under all dental entrepreneurs who want to grow, scale, and eventually sell their practice for what it’s really worth.
Let’s break down a few of the standout findings—and what they mean for you.
1. 60% of Patients Decline Care Due to Ineffective Education
That’s not a patient problem. That’s a communication problem. Patients don’t say “no” to treatment—they say “no” to things they don’t understand or see value in.
The best way to fix this is with patient education strategies that connect, convert, and build trust at every single touchpoint in your patient experience, starting with your marketing. If you’re not actively educating your patients in a way they get, you’re leaving money on the table—period.
Most treatment plans don’t fail because patients can’t afford them. They fail because patients don’t understand them. According to the Catalyst Index, nearly 6 out of 10 patients walk away from care—not because they don’t want it, but because no one translated the value of the treatment in a way that clicked. This is one of the most common—and most costly—gaps we see in average practices.
The top 10% of practices and dental entrepreneurs are winning because they’ve built systems and scripts that explain care in terms patients can emotionally and logically buy into. They leverage visual aids, digital presentations, clear language, and consistent messaging across every touchpoint—from the first call to the final follow-up.
When you educate with empathy, clarity, and structure, your case acceptance doesn’t just increase—it skyrockets.
2. Top Performers Prioritize Access. Average Practices Have Waitlists.
If your patients have to wait a month to get in, they’ll find someone else—or just forget about treatment altogether. Meanwhile, the top 10% of dental entrepreneurs are designing access around convenience, not tradition.
They’re proactive. Nimble. Smart about systems. This is exactly the kind of operational agility we coach with in our Practice Optimization Process tm when we work with our consulting clients. Working with Wincrest Orthodontics in Plano, TX, we focused on their patient experience. By transforming a few key areas in the patient journey, they were able to gain a 7x increase in starts over 2024.
What’s the use of an amazing treatment plan if the patient can’t get on your calendar until next month? Access is everything. According to the Catalyst Index, long lead times are killing momentum for average practices. When patients are ready to say yes, any delay becomes friction—and friction kills conversion.
In contrast, top 10% of dental entrepreneurs are engineering access into their daily operations. They use advanced scheduling systems, reserve time blocks for high-priority patients, and design their workflows to accommodate same-week (and sometimes same-day) appointments.
This isn’t about working longer hours. It’s about structuring your schedule so it serves both your production goals and your patients’ timelines. It is absolutely possible to rework your scheduling models to maximize availability without burning out your team.
3. Patient Experience Drives Revenue
Your patients aren’t just judging your clinical work—they’re judging your front desk, your follow-ups, your technology, your vibe. The best-performing practices in the country are obsessed with experience, and the numbers back that up.
They create a culture patients want to return to and refer their friends to. That’s not fluff. That’s scalable brand equity. Here’s a truth most dentists don’t want to hear: your clinical skills matter—but your experience as dental entrepreneurs matters more.
The Catalyst Index found that the best-performing practices treat patients like VIPs from the moment they call to the moment they leave.
Think about it—patients don’t just evaluate your dentistry. They’re judging your customer service, your follow-up, your payment options, your digital forms, your team’s attitude, your office design, and even your Spotify playlist.
The top 10% of dental entrepreneurs are dialing in every detail to create an experience that builds loyalty and referrals. They know that patients won’t remember the exact margins on a crown—but they will remember how your team made them feel.
Learning to build experience-first cultures that translate into retention, reviews, and revenue is essential in a successful dental business. It’s what keeps your patients coming back, your teams happy and your practice scalable and profitable.
4. Chairside Revenue Is Being Ignored
The Catalyst Index found a fourfold difference in average daily gross revenue between average dentists and the top 10%. Four times more—same number of hours in the day.
Why? Because the top 10% of dental entrepreneurs know how to maximize every chair, every hour, every treatment opportunity. No guessing, no coasting.
This isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter with systems that support production without burnout.
The most shocking Catalyst Index stat? Top 10% of dentists are making almost 4x more in average daily production than their peers. Same chair. Same number of hours. Radically different outcomes.
So what gives?
Top performers don’t just hope for revenue—they engineer it. They know how to spot production opportunities in hygiene. They cross-train their team to recognize when a patient needs same-day treatment. Furthermore, they optimize chair flow, tighten turnover times, and use data to set production targets that actually mean something.
On the flip side, average dental entrepreneurs are bleeding money because their chairs aren’t working at full potential. Too many holes in the schedule. Too few upgrades. Too much “I’ll just wait” from patients.
At Optimize, use a tool called the Practice Optimization Process tm. It helps you map your chairside revenue potential and install systems that ensure you’re not just busy—you’re productive.
The truth is, being average in today’s market isn’t safe. It’s a slow bleed. And it’s avoidable.
If your practice isn’t growing the way you want, you’re not broken—but your systems probably are. At Optimize Practice Alliance, we work with dental entrepreneurs every day to fix what’s not working and install what is—so you can grow with confidence.
The Bottom Line: It’s Time to Decide—Are You Average, or Are You Ready to Lead?
The Catalyst Index didn’t just shine a light on what the best dental entrepreneurs are doing—it held up a mirror to the rest of the industry. And what it revealed is hard to ignore:
Too many practices are operating far below their potential.
Too many teams are frustrated but don’t know what to fix.
Too many owners are working harder than ever—and still falling short.
But here’s the truth: it doesn’t have to be this way.
At Optimize Practice Alliance, we don’t believe in generic coaching or cookie-cutter solutions. We believe in partnering with bold, committed dental leaders who are ready to take ownership of their growth and play in the top 10%.
If your gut tells you your practice could be doing better—you’re right. And if you’re mad about being average? Good. That’s your fire.
Now let’s turn that fire into a plan.
Ready to Stop Leaving Money on the Table?
Book a free 30-minute strategy call with our team. We’ll give you a custom action plan, specific to your practice, with real strategies you can use right away. No fluff. No pressure. Just the clarity you’ve been missing.
Stop being average—Let’s fix it. Together.