Dental Practice Production Potential (Part 4): What Production Variation Reveals About Potential for Growth
- Russ Ledbetter
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
Let’s Address the Elephant in the Room
When you hear words like:
Standard deviation
Variance
Your eyes probably glaze over.
Totally fair.
This is not going to be a statistics lecture.
We’ve included a simple calculator tool to help you measure your own production variation.
We’re going to keep this simple—and get to a very practical insight about your practice.
The Insight Most Dentists Miss
After analyzing hundreds of practices over more than 35 years, one pattern shows up over and over:
The more your production fluctuates, the more potential your practice has to grow.
Not less.
More.
Keep It Simple
You don’t need formulas.
Just think about it this way:
Low variation → your days all look the same (less opportunity)
High variation → some days are great, some are slow (more opportunity)
That’s it.
Two Types of Practices
The “Flat” Practice
Consistent numbers
Predictable schedule
Not much change month to month
The “Roller Coaster” Practice
Big highs
Noticeable lows
Production swings
Here’s the Counterintuitive Part
Most dentists think:
“I want consistency. Consistency must mean I’m doing well.”
But what I’ve seen is this:
The roller coaster practice usually has more upside.
Why? The Highs are Proof that More Production Can be Achieved
If you occasionally have:
Big production days
Highly productive schedules
Strong case acceptance
That means your practice clearly has what it takes to produce more.
The issue isn’t capability.
It’s consistency.
What Low Variation Really Indicates
Low variation may feel safe. But it often means:
Your “best days” aren’t that high
Your ceiling is already being hit
Even perfect consistency won’t create big growth
You can only optimize up to your current ceiling.
What I Look For
Over time, I’ve learned to use variation as a quick indicator:
Below 10% → limited upside
10–20% → solid opportunity
Above 20% → strong untapped potential
Most of our success stories started in the 10–20% range. Those practices achieved significant production increases, average increase $250K per year, per dentist.
The highest-growth practices I’ve worked with are often above a 20% variation. These offices averaged significantly higher increases.
Calculate Your Practice’s Variation
You don’t need to guess where your practice falls. Use our Production Variation Calculator (opens in a new tab).
This tool requires:
The total production number for at least 4 consecutive months
The number of days worked for each of those months
The calculation tool takes less than a minute and will show you exactly where your practice stands for the purposes of this conversation.
What Your Variation Is Really Telling You
Once you know your variation, the next question is:
What is causing it?
Variation doesn’t come from nowhere. It’s usually driven by:
scheduling inconsistency
uneven case acceptance
lack of structure in the day
If your schedule isn’t structured properly, you’ll see:
occasional high-production days
inconsistent performance
constant pressure to fill holes
That’s not random. It’s a system problem.
Start Here
If all of the above sounds familiar, these are the first systems to fix:
Make Your Best Days the Standard
Your practice has the ability to produce at a higher level.
The issue isn’t capability. It’s consistency.
Most dentists don’t know:
how much potential they actually have
what’s holding them back
or how to fix it
That’s exactly what I help with. Let's talk about what's possible in your practice.
Your schedule is already showing you what’s possible.
The question is:
Are you going to use that information—or ignore it?
Related articles:
Dental Practice Production Potential (Part 1): How to Determine Your True Potential
Dental Practice Production Potential (Part 2): Capacity, Chairs & Fees
Dental Practice Production Potential (Part 4): What Production Variation Reveals About Potential for Growth (This Article)
About the Author
Russ Ledbetter is a dental practice management consultant with Dental Consulting Experts, The Ledbetter Group, helping dentists increase production, reduce stress, and improve teamwork and morale—without changing diagnosis or fees. Learn more about Russ and our Dental Consulting Services.
