# Dental production goal calculator

> Estimate monthly break-even collections, daily production target, visits per day, and collection-rate impact from practice-specific cost inputs.

URL: https://dentovio.com/tools/dental-production-goal-calculator

Last verified: 2026-07-11

Planning estimate only; not accounting, tax, valuation, lending, legal, or financial advice. Confirm formal targets with your CPA, lender, consultant, or practice-management advisor.

## Direct answer

- Formula: required collections = (fixed monthly costs + target owner pay/profit) / contribution margin.
- Contribution margin = 100% minus variable expense percentage.
- Gross production goal = required collections / collection rate.
- Default example: $18,000 fixed costs, 45% variable expense, and $30,000 target owner pay/profit require about $87,273 in monthly collections.
- With 16 clinical days and a 98% collection rate, the default daily production goal is about $5,566.

## Inputs

- Monthly fixed costs
- Variable expense percentage
- Target monthly owner pay or profit
- Collection rate
- Clinical days per month
- Average collected amount per visit

## Source basis

- `ADA-PRACTICE-EXPENSES-2022` ADA News: Practical strategies to reduce dental practice expenses. ADA News expense-management piece citing 4-7% fixed expense, 45-55% variable cost, 62% average overhead, and a 59% general-practice target reference. <https://adanews.ada.org/new-dentist/2022/march/ask-the-expert-practical-strategies-to-reduce-dental-practice-expenses/>
- `ADA-HPI-DENTAL-PRACTICE-RESEARCH` ADA Health Policy Institute dental practice research. ADA HPI page for dental practice structure, income, reimbursement, billings, and expense research including the Survey of Dental Practice. <https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dental-practice-research>

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