Bookkeeping for dental practices.
FigureWise keeps dental practice books collection-accurate: PPO write-offs tracked by plan, hygiene and doctor production separated, and big equipment purchases handled correctly for depreciation and tax.
The numbers to watch.
| # | Metric | |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Collection percentageThe share of adjusted production that actually turns into cash. It is the practice's fundamental efficiency number, and slippage here outweighs almost any expense cut. | The share of adjusted production that actually turns into cash. It is the practice's fundamental efficiency number, and slippage here outweighs almost any expense cut. |
| 02 | Overhead percentageTotal operating costs as a share of collections is the standard health metric dentists and lenders both use. Watching its components monthly tells you where the pressure is coming from. | Total operating costs as a share of collections is the standard health metric dentists and lenders both use. Watching its components monthly tells you where the pressure is coming from. |
| 03 | Supplies and lab as a percentage of collectionsThe most controllable clinical costs. A monthly ratio catches vendor price creep and ordering drift that dollar figures hide. | The most controllable clinical costs. A monthly ratio catches vendor price creep and ordering drift that dollar figures hide. |
| 04 | Hygiene production shareA strong hygiene department is recurring revenue and the feeder for restorative work. Tracking its share of production shows whether the engine of the practice is healthy. | A strong hygiene department is recurring revenue and the feeder for restorative work. Tracking its share of production shows whether the engine of the practice is healthy. |
Where dental practices books go wrong.
01
PPO write-offs eating margin invisibly
Each PPO plan discounts your fees differently, and the write-offs happen automatically at posting. Unless adjustments are tracked by plan, you cannot see which contracts still make sense as your costs rise.
02
Big-ticket equipment and buildout costs
Chairs, imaging, CAD/CAM, and office buildouts are large purchases with meaningful depreciation and financing consequences. Booked casually, they distort your P&L for years and leave tax planning opportunities on the table.
03
Supplies and lab costs that drift upward
Supplies and lab fees are the most controllable clinical costs in a practice, and they creep. Without monthly tracking as a percentage of collections, a few points of drift disappears into the noise.
04
Associate compensation math
Associates paid on a percentage of production or collections need clean, current numbers to be paid correctly. Disputes here are corrosive, and they are almost always bookkeeping problems, not people problems.
What we put in place.
- Insurance adjustments tracked by plan, so PPO participation decisions are based on numbers instead of gut feel.
- Equipment purchases and practice loans booked correctly, with depreciation schedules coordinated with your tax preparation.
- Monthly dashboard covering overhead percentage, supplies and lab ratios, and collections, delivered with the close.
- Payroll that supports associate percentage-based compensation with numbers both sides can trust.
- AI reconciles patient and insurance payments to deposits at volume; a human bookkeeper reviews every exception before reports go out.
Dental Practices, answered.
Better decisions start here.
A free, no-commitment review of your dental practices books.