Use the calculator below to see your monthly and annual opportunity cost. Every unanswered call is a patient — and a lifetime value — walking to your competitor.
Interactive Calculator
The Math
This calculator uses a straightforward opportunity cost formula based on your practice's call volume and the expected value of each missed new patient inquiry.
The "new patient conversion rate" is the percentage of inbound calls that are new patient inquiries. Studies suggest 20–40% of dental practice calls come from prospective new patients. The default of 30% is conservative.
The "lifetime value" is the total expected revenue from a new patient over their relationship with the practice — typically $1,500–$5,000. We use $2,000 as a conservative baseline. Practices with high cosmetic or restorative case mixes often see LTV above $3,000.
This is an opportunity cost estimate — it represents the upper bound of recoverable revenue, not guaranteed bookings. In practice, Mayla customers report recovering 40–70% of previously missed call revenue within 60 days of going live.
FAQ
On average, a missed call from a new patient represents $1,500–$5,000 in lost lifetime value, depending on the patient's case mix and practice location. Using a conservative $2,000 lifetime value and a 30% new-patient-to-call rate, each missed call costs roughly $600 in expected lifetime revenue. A practice missing 8 calls per day loses approximately $105,600 per month.
Industry estimates put the average new dental patient lifetime value at $1,500–$5,000, depending on the patient's treatment needs, retention rate, and family referrals. Conservative estimates use $2,000. Practices with a high restorative or cosmetic mix, or those in higher-income markets, often see LTV above $3,000. The calculator defaults to $2,000 to keep the estimate conservative.
Studies of dental practice phone data suggest the average practice misses 6–12 inbound calls per day — calls that go unanswered, are sent to voicemail, or are abandoned on hold. A significant portion occur during lunch, after hours, or when front desk staff are with patients. The calculator defaults to 8 missed calls per day as a middle-of-the-road estimate.
The calculator uses a standard opportunity cost formula based on publicly available dental industry data and the LTV ranges cited in dental practice management literature. It's designed to give a directionally correct estimate, not an audited financial projection. Your actual results will depend on your call handling, case acceptance rate, and patient retention.
To see how Mayla performs against your specific practice numbers, book a demo and we'll walk through a custom ROI estimate.
Mayla answers every inbound call within 2 rings — 24/7, including after hours, weekends, and when your front desk is with a patient. It books directly into your PMS in real time, so new patient appointments are booked on the first call rather than lost to voicemail. Most practices that deploy Mayla see a measurable increase in new patient bookings within the first 30 days.
Mayla goes live in 48 hours and answers every call your team misses. See it in action with a 20-minute demo.