Overhead — The 62% Rule

Total overhead: 60–65% of collections (over ~75% = you work for the practice, not yourself). Staff: 25–28%. Rent/occupancy: 5–7%. Lab + supplies: ~13–15%. Marketing: 3–5%. Owner net in a well-run GP practice: 30–40% of collections.

Overstaffing is the #1 silent killer — one extra full-time salary is ~$50–70K/year of pure margin. Next: supplies creep (no one re-bids vendors), insurance write-offs nobody measures, and rent signed at 10%+ of collections that growth has to carry forever. Audit quarterly; leaks compound.

A healthy hygiene department drives ~25–30% of production AND feeds the doctor's schedule through exams. If hygiene is under 25%, the fix is usually reappointment rate and perio program, not 'more marketing.'

Two minutes, free, no email required: enter collections, staff cost, rent, and marketing — get a graded scorecard against these benchmarks. (Consultants charge $2,500+ for this exact analysis.)