Patient lifetime value calculator
What is one patient worth to your practice over the years they stay?
Patient lifetime value is the revenue one patient brings over the years they stay with you, plus the value of the people they refer. Multiply average annual revenue per patient by average years retained, then scale up for referrals and apply your margin to see the profit. In most general practices a patient generates a few hundred dollars a year and stays five to ten years, so lifetime value is commonly in the low thousands before referrals. It is the number that tells you what a new patient is worth and what losing one costs.
How this is calculated
- Direct value = annual revenue × years retained.
- With referrals = direct value × (1 + referrals).
- Profit = value × margin.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my average revenue per patient?
Divide annual collections by active patients, where active means seen in the last 18–24 months. Most practice management software reports both figures. Using a wider definition of active will understate the value per patient, so be consistent from year to year.
How do I work out how many years a patient stays?
Run an attrition report or compare the active patient list year on year. If you lose about 12% of active patients a year, average retention is roughly eight years. Many practices find five to ten years is typical in most markets.
Should I include referrals in lifetime value?
Yes, but keep the figure conservative. One referral over a patient's lifetime is a reasonable default for a practice with a good experience; if you actively ask for referrals and track them, use your own number. Referrals compound, so a small change moves the result a lot.
What should I do if lifetime value is lower than I expected?
Check retention first, because lifting years retained is usually easier than lifting annual spend. Recall effectiveness, hygiene continuity and unscheduled treatment follow-up are the levers. The Unaccepted Treatment Value Calculator shows the second one in dollars.
How often should I recalculate lifetime value?
Once a year is enough for the headline number. Recalculate sooner if you change fees, add hygiene capacity or notice attrition moving, because it feeds your marketing budget through the New Patient Value Calculator.
Related calculators
All dentist calculators- New patient valueFirst-year and lifetime value of each new patient — the number that sets your marketing budget.Open calculator →
- Dental marketing ROIIs your marketing spend paying for itself, and by how much?Open calculator →
- Unaccepted treatment valueTotal diagnosed-but-unscheduled treatment sitting in your software.Open calculator →
Benchmarks are indicative for general practice in most markets. Last updated 18 Sept 2026. See our methodology.