Missed call cost for dental practice comes from two places: lost new-patient bookings and avoidable schedule gaps from existing patients. Use this 7-step estimator first: (1) count missed calls/week, (2) split new vs existing, (3) estimate how many you reach on callback, (4) estimate booking rate when you do reach them, (5) assign an average first-visit value and a separate “saved chair time” value, (6) add staff time spent on callbacks and voicemail, and (7) total weekly and monthly impact. If you lack data, use a conservative range and measure it for two weeks. The goal is a number you can manage and reduce.

