No-show cost calculator
What missed appointments cost your practice every year.
No-show cost is the production you lose each year to appointments where the patient simply does not arrive. Multiply chairs by working days by appointments per day to get annual appointments, apply your no-show rate to get missed appointments, then multiply by average appointment value. In most markets a no-show rate of 5–10% is typical, under 5% is excellent and over 12% needs a reminder and policy overhaul. Because your fixed costs are already paid, most of that lost production is lost margin.
How this is calculated
- Annual appointments = chairs × days × appointments per day.
- Missed = annual appointments × no-show rate.
- Cost = missed × average value.
- This is lost production, not lost profit. If fixed costs are already covered, most of it is lost margin.
Frequently asked questions
What is a normal dental no-show rate?
5–10% is typical across most markets. Under 5% is excellent and usually reflects a solid reminder sequence and a clear policy; over 12% means either the reminders are not reaching people or there is no consequence for missing. Emergency-heavy and new-patient-heavy schedules run higher.
What reduces no-shows most?
SMS reminders at 48 hours and 2 hours with a reply-to-confirm option, a short-notice waitlist to refill the gap, and a missed-appointment policy explained at booking. Confirming new patients by phone the day before also helps, since first appointments are missed most often.
How do I measure my actual no-show rate?
Most practice software has an appointment status report; count appointments marked failed-to-attend or no-show against total appointments for the month. Make sure the team is recording the status consistently, because unmarked gaps hide the real rate.
Is a no-show the same as a late cancellation?
No. A late cancellation gives you some notice and a chance to refill; a no-show gives you none. Track them separately, because the fixes are different, and use the Cancellation Cost Calculator for the other half of the picture.
How often should I review this?
Monthly. The rate moves quickly when reminder settings change, so a monthly check tells you within weeks whether a new sequence or policy is working.
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Benchmarks are indicative for general practice in most markets. Last updated 18 Sept 2026. See our methodology.