The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes 2505: The Smart Way to Add a Specialist
May 8, 2026
Practical tips for calculating the true cost per procedure before adding a specialist. Strategies for scheduling specialists across locations and tracking referrals. How to balance scaling revenue with improving profitability and spotting tipping points. Methods to measure attrition, automate reactivation, and ramp associates through the $35–55k production valley. Cost-saving ideas for expansion buildouts.
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Calculate True Cost Per Specialist Procedure
- Calculate true cost per specialist procedure including specialist split, assistant/supply responsibilities, room overhead, support staff and revenue-cycle costs.
- Subtract total overhead from procedure revenue to see owner take and only add the specialist if margin is meaningful.
Revenue Does Not Equal Practice Value
- Top-line revenue from added services doesn't automatically raise practice value because valuations use EBITDA multiples.
- Prioritize profitability per procedure, not just gross production, when evaluating practice value.
Decide Specialist Days By Tracking Referrals
- Track current referral volume and procedure lengths for a month to a quarter to determine needed specialist days.
- Use a hub-and-spoke: station the specialist at one hub and send referrals from satellite offices unless travel convenience demands otherwise.