2026 Catalyst Index: DSOs & Multi-Location Benchmarking Report
See Where Your DSO Stands. The 2026 Catalyst Index Is Here.
See how your organization compares
| Metric | Average | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment lead time (new patient) | 23 days | 4 days |
| Case acceptance rate | 45% | 75% |
| Patient retention rate | 58% | 90% |
| Time to payment (insurance) | 19 days | 8 days |
Top performers aren’t just more efficient. They’re more consistent. And that consistency shows up everywhere, from diagnosis to dollars collected.
What high-performing DSOs do differently?
1. They standardize clinical decision-making
The biggest performance gaps aren’t front desk issues; they’re clinical. Top organizations create consistency in how care is diagnosed, presented, and accepted. That’s why they outperform in case acceptance, clinical mix, and long-term patient value.
2. They reduce complexity instead of adding scale
Bigger doesn’t automatically mean better. In fact, larger organizations often struggle with collections at the same level or worse than smaller ones. The difference isn’t effort. It’s integration. Top performers eliminate fragmentation across systems and workflows so revenue moves faster and more predictably.
3. They prioritize schedule reliability over raw volume
A full schedule doesn’t guarantee performance. Completed visits do. Despite improvements in no-shows and cancellations, retention is declining because efficiency alone doesn’t build patient relationships. The best operators focus on consistency, follow-through, and clear expectations at every step.
What You’ll Get in the Full Report
- Full benchmark data across DSOs, DPOs, and 8+ location groups
- Year-over-year trends
- A practical framework to diagnose breakdowns across the patient journey
- Clear priorities you can apply across locations to drive more consistent, collectible revenue
FAQ
What is the average case acceptance rate for dental groups and DSOs?
According to our data, top-performing organizations have a case acceptance rate of 75%, which typically reflects more consistent clinical workflows and clearer, more confident patient communication.
What do top-performing DSOs do to reduce no-shows and cancellations?
Top performers don’t leave attendance management up to individual offices. They build reliability into the operating model. That usually means standardized scheduling and confirmation workflows across locations, centralized visibility into schedule risk, and consistent execution supported by training and adoption tracking.
What is a good patient retention rate for a multi-location dental practice?
The top 10% multi-location practices have a 90% retention. In practice, “good” looks like having repeatable reappointment and follow-up systems that keep patients consistently coming back across every location.
How does appointment lead time affect new patient acquisition?
Long lead times create friction. Patients are more likely to delay, look elsewhere, or drop off before the visit happens. Faster access increases the likelihood that patients move forward with care, which helps demand convert into completed appointments.
What collection rate should DSOs benchmark against?
The report’s benchmark shows a 72% average collection rate for 8+ location practices, with top performers at 97%. Those gaps tend to come from cleaner documentation at the point of care, fewer downstream billing errors, and stronger systems for tracking and collecting payments.
Download the full 2026 Catalyst Index
Join thousands of DSO leaders using the Catalyst Index to benchmark and improve performance.
Looking for benchmarks for 1-7 locations?
View the 2026 Catalyst Index: Takeaways from the top 10% 1-7 location practices.