Mobile Dental Clinic Break Even: $478K Monthly Revenue Target

Fixed costs $5.3K/mo Base overhead

Contribution margin 85% After variable costs

Break-even revenue $6.2K/mo Needed monthly sales

Break-even timing Month 2 Model break-even point

Break-even calculator

Check how monthly revenue, variable expenses, and fixed costs push this mobile clinic above or below break-even.

Lean Base Full

Monthly revenue Top-line revenue sets the cushion for fixed costs after direct expenses. $ Lower revenue Higher revenue Variable expenses These are the direct costs that move with visits and procedures. $ Lower direct cost Higher direct cost

Money available to cover fixed costs $99,479 $115,530 revenue - $16,051 variable expenses

Margin ratio

86%

Covers fixed costs

Yes

Fixed monthly costs This is the monthly cost base the clinic must cover before profit. $ Lower overhead Higher overhead

Break-even chart Revenue Total costs

Which expenses are fixed and which move with patient volume?

Cost classification

Break-even is only useful if revenue-linked items move with visits and true overhead stays fixed. For this clinic, supplies, lab fees, payer fees, vehicle usage, rent, software, insurance, and payroll need separate treatment.

Expense	Cost	Break-Even Treatment	Common Mistake
Office Base Rent	Fixed	Include $1,500 per month in overhead before calculating required treatment volume.	Treating rent like route-dependent spend.
Electronic health record and billing subscriptions	Fixed	Include $500 per month even when appointment volume is light.	Ignoring software during slow months.
Vehicle Insurance & Permits	Fixed	Include $1,000 per month as standing overhead for the mobile unit.	Confusing permits and insurance with fuel usage.
Professional Liability Insurance	Fixed	Include $800 per month as required clinical overhead.	Leaving liability coverage outside overhead.
Dental Supplies & Consumables	Variable	Model at 6.0% of revenue in the first year because usage rises with completed treatments.	Using a flat monthly dollar estimate.
Lab Fees	Variable	Model at 3.0% of revenue in the first year, with attention to specialist treatment mix.	Undercounting lab work tied to higher-value cases.
Vehicle Operating Costs	Semi-variable	Model at 4.0% of revenue in the first year, then watch route density by service area.	Missing route inefficiency between patient stops.
Clinical and support wages	Semi-fixed	Model first-year recurring payroll at about $35.4k per month before adding capacity.	Hiring ahead of booked visits.

How does break-even change as this mobile dental clinic moves from lean to base to full scale?

Scenario table

As visit density rises, revenue grows faster than payroll, so break-even gets safer. More staff only helps if routes stay full; otherwise fixed costs rise faster than cash comes in.

Planning assumptions only; actual results will move with payer mix, route density, and staffing discipline.

Scenario	Monthly Revenue	Variable Costs	Fixed Costs	CM Ratio	Operating Profit	Break-Even Signal
Lean first-year ramp	$100.8k	$15.1k	$40.7k	85.0%	$45.0k	Positive, but the cushion is still tight while the route is filling.
Base Year 3 scale	$183.4k	$25.5k	$71.9k	86.1%	$85.9k	Break-even improves as two dentists, two hygienists, and one specialist run at higher utilization.
Full Year 5 scale	$334.1k	$41.8k	$97.3k	87.5%	$195.0k	Strongest cushion, but only if added staff comes after route density is already in place.

What breaks the break-even plan for a mobile dental clinic?

Stress test

The plan has a thin cushion, so missed visits and overhead creep matter fast. If cancellations land with overtime, long routes, supply inflation, or more lab-heavy work, break-even can move from cushion to gap in one month.

Stress Case	Changed Assumption	Break-Even Revenue	Revenue Gap	Risk Signal
Current plan	No change.	$478K	$98K cushion	Thin buffer if visits soften.
Revenue shortfall	Bookings fall enough to erase the 59-visit cushion.	$478K	$0 cushion	One soft month uses the whole buffer.
Fixed-cost pressure	Fixed overhead rises by $10K from overtime, long routes, and staffing overages.	$490K	$86K cushion	Each extra fixed dollar pushes break-even up fast.
Margin pressure	Contribution margin slips 1 point to 84.0% from supply inflation and more lab-heavy work.	$484K	$92K cushion	A small margin drop moves break-even by about $6K.
Combined pressure	Bookings miss the 59-visit cushion while fixed overhead rises $10K and margin slips 1 point.	$496K	$18K gap	This is the month that flips cushion into red.

Can you prove the clinic can hit break-even before you lock the vehicle and staffing build?

Founder checklist

Don't lock the vehicle and full staff build until you can prove 245 monthly break-even visits and a first-year pipeline above 304 planned visits. The model's cash low hits Month 24 at $180K, so a slow launch can burn the cushion fast.

1Break-even visits245/mo

Verify you can book at least 245 monthly visits before you sign the full vehicle and staffing build, because that is the floor the model needs to hold.

2Pipeline depth304 visits

Keep the first-year appointment pipeline above 304 planned visits and test marketing before you buy more capacity, so demand is real before the spend.

3Fit-out scope$713K capex

Confirm the unit can handle general dentistry, hygiene, specialist work, sterilization, imaging, storage, and patient flow, because the $713K build only pays off if the layout works.

4Fixed overhead$5.25K/mo

Verify state dental licensure, mobile clinic permits, vehicle insurance, professional liability, and billing setup are live while fixed overhead stays near $5.25K a month, so launch delays do not stack up costs.

5Route and staffYear 2

Map routes so the 4.0% vehicle cost stays tight, and wait for the Year 2 utilization step before adding staff.

6Cash cushion$180K

Hold at least $180K through Month 24, because that is the cash low point and Year 2 EBITDA still dips to -$59K.