Lying with Statistics: Your Budget Percentages Aren’t Telling the Whole Truth
- Ashley Boaz
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Why a Business Coach Looks Beyond the Numbers to Drive Real Profitability
When “Good Numbers” Lead to Bad Decisions
If you’ve ever looked at your profit and loss statement and thought, “We’re within industry benchmarks, so we must be doing fine,”—this post is for you.
Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: Your percentages might be lying to you.
In dentistry, we’re taught to manage by percentages—team costs, supplies, marketing, overhead. And while those benchmarks are helpful, they can also create a false sense of security when taken at face value.
A seasoned business coach knows this: percentages don’t tell the whole story. Context does.
Let’s break down where practices go wrong—and how to start reading your numbers like a strategist, not just an operator.
The Illusion of “Healthy” Percentages
Industry benchmarks exist for a reason. They provide a quick snapshot of how your practice compares to others.
But here’s the issue: Benchmarks are averages—not absolutes.
When you rely too heavily on them, you risk:
Misdiagnosing operational issues
Missing growth opportunities
Making reactive (instead of strategic) decisions
For example, a practice with 27% team costs might look “perfect” on paper. But what if:
The team is understaffed and overwhelmed?
Patient experience is suffering?
Revenue is being left on the table due to bottlenecks?
That 27% isn’t healthy—it’s restrictive.
A strong business coach doesn’t just ask, “Are you within range?”
They ask, “Is this number helping or hurting your growth?”
Supply Costs: Why Patient Flow Matters More Than Percentages
Let’s talk about one of the most misunderstood categories in dentistry: clinical supplies.
Most practices aim to keep supply costs around 12–14%. Sounds simple, right?
Not quite.
The Problem
Supply costs don’t scale evenly with revenue—they scale with patient flow and procedure mix.
Here’s what that means:
A practice doing more high-value procedures (implants, same-day crowns, aligners) may have higher supply costs
A hygiene-heavy practice with high patient volume may also see increased supply usage
A growing practice onboarding new patients often experiences temporary spikes in supply spending
The Reality
If your patient flow increases, your supply costs will follow—even if your percentage temporarily rises above benchmark.
And that’s not a problem. That’s growth.
A business coach will evaluate:
New patient numbers
Procedure mix
Case acceptance trends
Provider productivity
Because those factors tell the real story behind your supply spend—not just a percentage on a report.
Marketing Spend: Why Growth Costs More (At First)
Here’s another area where percentages can be misleading: marketing.
You’ve probably heard that marketing should stay within a certain percentage of revenue.
But that guideline assumes one critical thing:
That your patient base is already established.
The Growth Trap
If you’re trying to:
Attract higher-value cases
Enter a more competitive market
Shift your brand positioning
Replace low-value PPO patients
Your marketing costs will increase.
And they should.
Why?
Because acquiring better patients is more expensive than maintaining existing ones.
Higher-income demographics require more targeted campaigns
Competitive markets demand stronger branding and visibility
Digital advertising costs continue to rise
So if your marketing percentage goes up, it doesn’t automatically mean inefficiency—it may mean you’re investing in a better patient base.
A strategic business coach reframes the question from:“Is marketing too expensive?” to:“Is marketing producing the right kind of patients?”
The Revenue Trap: Percentages Can Improve While Performance Declines
Here’s where things get really deceptive.
Your percentages can actually look better while your business gets worse.
Example:
You cut team hours → team cost % drops
You reduce marketing → marketing % drops
You limit supply ordering → supply % drops
On paper, your overhead improves.
But in reality:
Patient experience declines
New patient flow slows
Production decreases
Team burnout increases
You didn’t improve your business—you shrank it.
This is what we call false efficiency.
A true business coach focuses on profitability through growth, not profitability through restriction.
What You Should Be Measuring Instead
If percentages aren’t the full picture, what should you be looking at?
Here’s where high-performing practices shift their focus:
1. Patient Flow Metrics
New patients per month
Active patient base growth
Hygiene reappointment rates
2. Production Per Visit
Average production per patient
Case acceptance rates
Treatment mix
3. Provider Efficiency
Production per provider hour
Chair utilization
4. Marketing ROI (Not Just Spend)
Cost per new patient
Lifetime value of a patient
Conversion rates
5. Capacity vs. Demand
Are you turning patients away?
Are you booked out too far?
Are there gaps in the schedule?
These metrics give context to your percentages—and context is where real strategy lives.
The Bigger Picture: Strategy Over Simplicity
Percentages are easy.
Strategy is harder.
But if you want a practice that grows, scales, and becomes truly profitable, you have to move beyond surface-level analysis.
Because the truth is:
Not all expenses should go down
Not all percentages should be minimized
Not all benchmarks apply to your current phase of growth
Sometimes, the smartest move is to spend more intentionally—not less.
How a Business Coach Changes the Way You See Your Numbers
A skilled business coach doesn’t just review your P&L—they translate it.
They help you:
Connect financial data to operational behavior
Identify whether costs are strategic or symptomatic
Align spending with growth goals
Build systems that support sustainable profitability
At Mint Conceptions, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all benchmarks. We believe in building a model that reflects:
Your vision
Your patient base
Your growth goals
Your team structure
Because your numbers should work for you—not the other way around.
Stop Letting Percentages Dictate Your Decisions
If you take one thing from this, let it be this:
Your percentages are a tool—not a truth.
They require interpretation. Context. Strategy.
And when used incorrectly, they can quietly steer your practice in the wrong direction.
Before you cut costs, pause and ask:
What is this number actually telling me?
What behavior is driving it?
Is this supporting growth—or limiting it?
That’s the difference between managing a practice…and leading one.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start making data-driven decisions that actually move your practice forward, Mint Conceptions is here to help.
Our tailored coaching approach goes beyond surface-level metrics to uncover the real drivers of profitability and growth.
Partner with a business coach who understands dentistry—and knows how to turn your numbers into a roadmap for success.
Ready to take control of your business and unlock your full potential? Mint Conceptions business coaches will help you design systems and build teams that fuel growth, profitability, and long-term success. Contact Mint Conceptions team of HR consultants, business coaches, and business consultants to help tailor solutions to fit your unique business needs.
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