The global pandemic may have sparked a new interest in mobile dental hygiene practices, but I want to take this idea a step further. One of the most effective ways to develop a sustainable business model is to utilize your mobile dental practice to support underserved communities.
Expanding into mobile dental practice solutions provides a rich area with high demand, appreciative clients, rewarding work, and strong potential revenue streams. If you want to make this work, you need to get serious about your return on investment (ROI), not just in terms of money, but in time so you’re not risking burnout.
Key Takeaways:
- A well-structured mobile dental practice can bring a strong ROI with the right tools and a modest investment.
- The demand for such services is extremely high in rural communities, among senior care facilities, and for homebound patients.
- You can run a lean, highly efficient mobile dental practice when combining it with AI, teledentistry, and third-party support.
- Certification and coaching programs from the Geriatric Toothfairy support this rapid growth model.
Why Mobile Dentistry Is a Smart Business Investment
Before we get too deep into the details, I want to address the elephant in the room first. You can earn a substantial income from starting a mobile dental practice. You don’t have the high startup costs of a brick-and-mortar business, and the population of potential patients is expansive – as long as you’re willing to go where they live.
Best of all, you have fewer staffing requirements and can make your schedule as you see fit. That type of freedom does take more motivated individuals, but with a bit of training and guidance from a seasoned geriatric oral care educator; you can grow and make a powerful difference in your community. The benefits speak for themselves:
- Lower barrier to entry with as little as $15,000 to $20,000
- Scalable growth by serving patients who want help, but cannot visit fixed locations
- Flexibility to create your own hours and control your caseload
- Mission-driven work that is extremely rewarding for those in need
That should settle the argument about whether starting a mobile dental practice is good for you or not. Now, let’s get into how you can pair this business model with a smart plan, mentorship from me, and certification.
Expanding Your Reach Through Untapped Segments
A traditional dental practice must market to local community members who are willing to come to them. That can work, especially if you’re specializing in one target or not. A mobile dental practice is much different.
Your core patient segments tend to be those who do not typically schedule an appointment at a local office. When you learn to expand into these markets, you grow.
- Seniors: LTCs and memory care units are perfect for mobile services. There were over 15,000 nursing homes alone in 2020. These seniors have been without dental care for years and will jump at the chance of quality service.
- Homebound: Over 7 million people in the USA are homebound, meaning they cannot leave their property to visit a dental office. You bring the benefits of routine hygiene, denture care, and personalized treatment that they will appreciate.
- Rural: Although rural communities may have fewer people than cities, they still have just as many needs. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the word will get around about your mobile dental services once you engage with these wonderful human beings.
- Veterans: Most veterans rely on the VA, but not all of them are near a facility, and the lines for service tend to be long and complex due to authorizations. You can overcome these challenges and provide effective care.
- Teledentistry: Using synchronous and asynchronous services, you can expand your billable services and build a practice that has even more freedom than a van or truck serving specific locations.
It’s all about finding the groups or patient segments that will bring you both a high financial return on investment (ROI) and fulfill your need to serve others. That is why I work so well with older patients. I love seeing them smile, and they need my care. It’s a win-win!
Calculating ROI – A Realistic Example
There are many ways to calculate ROI in the mobile dental field. You want to consider the value of the dollars you spend and compare that to the process you’re trying to measure. It should yield multiple returns for every dollar spent.
Let’s run an example. We’ll look at it from a patient acquisition ROI. If you are in your first year running a mobile dental practice, you may calculate:
- A = Annual value of a target patient = $1,500
- B = Number of new patients seen via mobile outreach per period = 48
- C = Period investment in marketing/setup = $10,000
If (A x B) – C = ROI, then you will get a $62,000 revenue on a spend of $10,000. If this were in a full-year period, that would be less than one patient per week. When you consider you’ll see anywhere from 10-30 patients per day, you can quickly see how vital ROI is to your functioning mobile dental practice model.
You’re not limited to just 48 patients. One LTC contract could bring 8-12 patients in a single day. Add in teledentistry, and you’ll have a whole week booked faster than you can imagine.
Why ROI Is More Than Just Profit
The typical startup costs of a successful mobile dental practice are significantly lower than a traditional office space. While each model is unique, you can expect a basic investment of:
- Portable dental unit & handpieces: $8,000–$20,000
- Vehicle conversion (if applicable): $5,000–$30,000
- Licensing, registration, and insurance: $2,000–$5,000
- Marketing + business setup: $5,000–$10,000
- Coaching & certification: $2,500–$5,000
That’s about $15,000 to $60,000. With your average part-time work earning anywhere from $60-$90,000 in profit for low commitment, you can expect to break even within 12-18 months. In most cases, you’ll be “in the black” much faster with a higher patient schedule.
Your dental ROI is not only in dollars and cents. Yes, you gain the freedom of your own schedule and reduced overhead as a mobile business, but you also reach patients who truly need care. That breeds long-term career satisfaction that many other fields simply never experience.
Streamlining Processes = Better Profit Margins
There are many tools we can discuss during coaching. You don’t have to stick to a fixed operating model. The goal is to reduce time waste and manual labor, and there are many tools that will help. These may include:
AI in Mobile Dentistry
Bringing in automation and AI (artificial intelligence) to coordinate back office processes and customer-facing interactions. These often take the place of hiring a bigger team so you remain fully flexible and adaptive to the market. They might include:
- Automated scheduling & reminders
- Digital forms & signatures
- Teledentistry consults & records management
- Smart diagnostics using AI-driven imaging
The Right Combination of Tools
Mobile equipment is compact, easy to sterilize, and integrates well with most cloud-based systems. It makes it much easier for digital X-rays or insurance billing when everything is talking to each other while remaining fully compliant. Operational system efficiency is a “biggie” we need to discuss.
Expanded Services
A mobile dental practice ensures you can expand into different partnerships and services. You can integrate teledentistry or offer specialty services one day a week with an oral surgeon or orthodontist. You want to increase your per-patient value and shorten payback timelines – all while emphasizing quality, long-term client relationships.
Looking at a Real-World ROI Study
Meet Maria. She wants to learn how to start a mobile dental hygienist practice. She finishes certification with me and signs up for my coaching program. When everything is said and done, her total expenses include:
- Portable equipment & sterilization tools: $12,000
- Vehicle outfitting & supplies: $6,000
- Insurance, business setup, licenses: $4,000
- Marketing & branding: $3,000
- Certification + Coaching: $3,500
Total Investment: $28,500
In Maria’s first year, she secured contracts with two assisted living facilities, ensuring she sees 15 patients per week. With an average patient value of $1,500, her one-year revenue is $108,000. That means Maria breaks even within the first 4-5 months. By the end of the year, she’ll easily recover her initial costs and make a massive profit.
That is on the extreme, conservative low end of the typical mobile dental practice ROI. With a bit of motivation and fire in your heart, you can easily eclipse this example.
Why Coaching + Certification Matters to ROI
The truth is starting a mobile dental practice is doable and easier than most might imagine. The secret sauce is you need support. That is where I can help.
With over 30 years of experience in the industry, I offer both a Geriatric Oral Care Certification to sharpen your skills with an in-need community as well as applications for my Mobile Dental Practice Coaching Program. That is where you will develop the business skills to turn a fresh idea into incredible ROI.
I’m not interested in selling you a course and leaving you to your own devices. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme. My programs are widely recognized and based on real-world applications. I work one-on-one with a diverse list of clients from all walks of life and am proud of the successes that have resulted from such work.
You too can have a successful mobile dental practice serving some of the most appreciative human beings. Sign up today, and let’s build your future.
