Enter your email address for:
Newsletters • Events • Learning Centre Posts • Blog Posts
A Financial Growth Series for Ambitious Dentists - Hidden Costs
Print off your last 3 months of bank statements right now. I promise you'll find something that surprises you.
Arun Mehra
April 14, 2026
Hi there,
Over 25 years of reviewing dental practice accounts, the biggest financial problems I find are rarely dramatic. They're a hundred small things, each individually unremarkable, but stacked up together they quietly hollow out your margin year after year.
A software tool nobody uses anymore but nobody cancelled. A lab arrangement on the same terms as five years ago because nobody questioned it. An energy contract that auto-renewed without a second glance. Staff on the rota on days the appointment book doesn't justify it.
We see this at the Neem Tree too, you get busy, you focus on the clinical side, and the cost lines just drift. The difference is you need to go hunting for them. They don't announce themselves. When we do a Financial Health Check, we routinely find significant recoverable value in practices not through mismanagement, but simply through not looking.
This month - let's look.
|
|
|
Five places the money is quietly going
Lab fees - Often higher than needed. A quick review or quote check can save thousands.
Payroll - If it’s above ~38% of turnover, it’s usually a scheduling issue, not staffing.
Software - Old subscriptions add up. You’re likely paying for tools you don’t use.
Suppliers & utilities - Long-term contracts often go unchecked and overpriced.
Finance - Older loans may be on poor rates. A simple review can cut costs.
Where should your numbers actually sit?
Cost Category | Healthy Range | Flag if above |
|---|---|---|
Staff Costs | 20–35% of turnover | 38% |
Lab Fees | 8–12% of private revenue | 14% |
Consumables & Materials | 5–8% | 10% |
Premises (rent/mortgage) | 8–12% | 15% |
Software & Admin | 2–4% | 5% |
Finance Costs | 2–4% | 5% |
Target Net Margin | 35–45% | Below 25% needs attention |
Your 30-day action plan
Print your last 3 months of bank statements. Highlight every single recurring charge.
Ask your practice manager to list every active software subscription - name, monthly cost, and when it was last used
Contact two alternative lab suppliers for quotes based on your last year of orders. You don't have to switch - just see the number.
Pull your staff cost as a percentage of turnover for the last quarter and compare it to the benchmark above
Find out when your practice finance was last reviewed for rate. If you can't remember, it hasn't been. Give us a call.
→ Want us to do this review for you? Our Financial Health Check goes through every cost line in your practice and benchmarks it against hundreds of similar practices. Most clients find savings that cover the exercise many times over. samera.co.uk/service/financial-health-check-up
Speak soon,
Arun
Uros Turcic
Business Development Consultant
Need finance for your next practice?
Uros has helped hundreds of dentists secure funding at excellent rates. Book a free 30-minute call and find out what's possible.
QUICK READS THIS WEEK
Dental Practice Startup - Why Buy when you can Start up a Dental Practice for a much lower cost?
Dental CFO Services - Our Dental CFO Services can take much of the financial decision-making burden off your plate, giving you more time to see patients and enjoy your life.
Making Tax Digital for Dentists - Automate your dental accounts and tax when you go digital with our specialist dental accountants.
