How Canadian Dentists Lose $50,000+ Annually
Every clinic owner knows the frustration of seeing unbooked hygienist hours on the schedule.
Those quiet gaps don’t just waste time — they directly cut into production and profit.
It’s not just frustrating—it’s expensive. Really expensive.
Why Unbooked Hygienist Hours Quietly Drain Profit
Even one hour of lost hygiene time doesn’t just disappear — it compounds into thousands in missed revenue.
Here’s why unbooked hygienist hours hurt more than you think.
💡 Here’s something most BC dental practice owners don’t realize:
Just one unfilled hygiene hour per week can cost you over $16,000 per year. Per chair.
Then:
If you have two hygienists and each has just one gap per week, you’re watching $32,000+ walk out the door annually.
And here’s the thing—most practices have way more than one gap per week.
We see this all the time at Stellar Accounts when we dive into our clients’ numbers. The schedule looks “pretty full,” but when we actually calculate hygiene utilization rates, there’s a completely different story. Money is slipping through the cracks, and most practice owners have no idea it’s happening.
Today, we’re going to show you exactly how much those empty hours are costing you, how to spot them before they become a pattern, and what you can do about it.
We’ve even created a free Hygiene Utilization Tracker (yes, a real Excel tool you can use starting today) to help you catch these profit leaks early.
The Real Math Behind Empty Hygiene Hours
Let’s get specific. Because “it’s costing you money” sounds vague. Let’s put actual numbers to it, based on the 2025 BC Dental Fee Guide
Here’s the typical breakdown for a hygiene appointment in a BC dental practice (based on 2025 BCDA fee guide)
What One Hour Actually Costs You
Recall examination: $41.60
Scaling (4 units = 60 minutes): $235.20
Polishing: $47.60
Total typical recall appointment: $324.40
With additional services (fluoride, etc.): $325-350
Average hourly production for BC hygiene: $325/hour
That’s for ONE hour per week in ONE chair.
One unfilled hour per week. Here’s what that looks like:
Weekly loss: $325 in lost production
Monthly loss: (4.3 weeks): $1,398
Annual loss: $16,900
The Two-Chair Reality
Most practices have at least two hygiene chairs. If each chair has one gap per week:
Weekly loss: $650
Monthly loss: $2,795
Annual loss: $33,800
And here’s what we’ve learned from analyzing dozens of BC dental practice books.
Most practices actually have 2–3 unfilled hours per chair, per week.
Not because they’re doing anything wrong,
but because they don’t have a system to track it.
At 2 hours per week per chair (two hygienists), you’re looking at an
annual loss of $67,600.
Let that sink in.
That’s more than a hygienist’s entire salary—
just evaporating because of scheduling gaps.
Why This Happens (And Why You Probably Don’t See It)
You might be thinking, “But my schedule looks full most days!” And you’re probably right—it does look full. But “looking full” and “being optimally utilized” are two very different things.
Here are the most common reasons hygiene hours go unbooked:
The problem isn’t your team. The problem is not having visibility into these patterns until it’s too late.
That’s why tracking your hygiene unbooked hours is critical to uncovering where money is leaking in your schedule.
How to Spot Scheduling Gaps Early
(Before They Cost You)
The secret isn’t working harder—it’s having the right data at the right time. Here’s what actually works:
Stop guessing. Start tracking. Our Excel-based tracker helps you:
- Calculate your true utilization rate weekly
- Spot patterns in cancellations and gaps
- Quantify exactly how much revenue you’re missing (based on BC 2025 rates)
- Make data-driven scheduling decisions
What Good Practices Do Differently
The practices that consistently run at 85-90% utilization aren’t doing anything magical. They’re just doing a few key things consistently:
They Have a Waitlist System
Not a “we’ll call if something opens up” system. A real, organized list of patients who:
- Want to come in sooner
- Are flexible on timing
- Have treatments pending
Your front desk should be updating this list weekly and reaching out proactively.
They Review the Numbers Weekly
Every Monday morning (or Friday afternoon), someone looks at:
- Last week’s utilization rate
- Upcoming week’s schedule
- Gaps that need filling
This takes 15 minutes. It saves thousands of dollars.
They Pre-Book Aggressively
The best time to book a patient’s next hygiene visit is before they leave your office.
Not “we’ll call you,
” not “book online whenever.”
Right there, in person, before they walk out.
Pre-booking rates should be 85%+. If yours is lower, that’s your first fix.
They Track Cancellation Patterns
Are Mondays your highest cancellation day? Is there a specific time of day when no-shows spike?
Do certain patient types cancel more frequently?
When you track this data (hint: our tracker does this for you), you can:
Build buffer time on high-cancellation days
Implement stricter deposit policies for repeat offenders
Adjust your scheduling strategy
The Bottom Line: What This Means for Your BC Practice
Reducing unbooked hygienist hours isn’t just about filling chairs. It’s about protecting the time, team, and trust that keep your clinic profitable.
Let’s bring this full circle with BC-specific numbers. If you’re running two hygiene chairs and you’re currently at 75% utilization (which is common—not bad, just common), here’s what improving to 85% means:
You didn’t add more chairs. You didn’t hire more hygienists. You didn’t extend your hours.
You just got better at filling the hours you already have.
You simply filled your hygiene unbooked hours — and turned lost time into recovered revenue.
That’s the power of tracking and optimizing your hygiene schedule.
How Stellar Accounts Can Help
Look, we get it. You became a dentist to help patients, not to obsess over scheduling spreadsheets and utilization rates. But here’s the thing—your clinical skills are what make your practice great. Your financial systems are what make it profitable.
At Stellar Accounts, we work exclusively with BC dental practices. We don’t just “do your books”—we help you find the money you’re already earning but not capturing.
When we take on a new dental client, one of the first things we analyze is hygiene utilization.
Why?
Because it’s one of the fastest ways to boost profitability without spending a dime on marketing or adding overhead.
We help you
Set up simple tracking systems (like the one we’re giving you today)
Connect scheduling data to your financial performance
Review your numbers monthly and spot patterns
Make data-driven decisions about staffing, hours, and growth
Stay current with BC fee guide changes
We’ve helped BC practices uncover $35K-$70K in “hidden” annual revenue just by optimizing hygiene scheduling. Imagine what you could do with an extra $50,000 this year—without adding a single new patient.
Ready to Stop Losing Money to Empty Chairs
Book a free 30-minute practice profit review with Stellar Accounts. We’ll:
✅ Analyze your current hygiene utilization
✅ Show you exactly how much revenue you’re missing (based on BC 2025 rates)
✅ Give you a custom action plan to capture that revenue
✅ Answer any questions about your practice finances
