Dental front desk numbers.
29.7% of dental front-office staff changed employers in 2024, and filling a staff job takes a median of 39 days. This page gathers those numbers with their sources, plus one practice’s first month with an AI receptionist.
Hear Grace take a call
0:00 of 1:50
- Grace:Thanks for calling [office name bleeped]. This is Grace. How can I help you?
- Caller:Hi Grace, I just moved into town and I was wondering if you guys are accepting new patients, and if you guys accept Aetna PPO.
- Grace:Yeah, welcome to the area. We are accepting new patients and we’re in network with Aetna PPO. What were you needing to come in for?
- Caller:Just a cleaning and an exam.
- Grace:Alright, so let’s get your info down. What’s your first name?
- Caller:Sam.
- Grace:Okay, Sam. And your last name?
- Caller:Wilson.
- Grace:All right, Sam Wilson. Were you thinking morning or afternoon for your visit?
- Caller:I’m only available Thursday morning, so just whatever Thursday in the next month you guys have available in the morning.
- Grace:Okay, so you’re looking for a Thursday morning next month. One sec, let me take a look here and see what’s open.
- Grace:All right, so for Thursday morning next month, I’ve got an 8 o’clock or a 10 o’clock. Does either of those work for you?
- Caller:Yeah, 8 o’clock is good.
- Grace:Okay. All right, got you down for 8 o’clock Thursday morning. And what’s your date of birth?
- Caller:11-12-98.
- Grace:November 12th, 1998. And a good callback number for you?
- Caller:Give me a callback at 209-555-0113.
- Grace:Okay, 209-555-0113. Did I get that right?
- Caller:That’s good with me, yeah.
- Grace:Okay, Sam, so I’ve got you down for Thursday, August 6th at 8 o’clock in the morning. Did I get that right?
- Caller:That’s perfect.
The call didn’t load. Press play to try again.
Call Grace yourself(620) 293-6808Keeping the front desk staffed.
A front desk checks patients in, works the schedule and handles billing while the phone rings. When someone leaves, the practice pays to hire and train a replacement, and the phones don’t wait.
29.7% of dental front-office staff changed employers in 2024. Filling a staff job takes a median of 39 days, then 60 to 90 days more to learn it.
Sources: DentalPost 2025, SHRM 2026, Dentistry IQ (one practice manager’s plan)
One practice, first month.
Atwater Dental Care put Grace on its phones. These numbers come from the practice’s own call logs.
- missed-call rate
- 34% to 0%
- in added production
- $15,962
This is one practice over one month, so read it as an example and not an average. See the Atwater story