What is it like being an associate dentist?

Associate dentists can be hired in dental offices for many different reasons. An associate dentist may be needed when the owner dentist wants to take a vacation, wants to cut back on days they work or if there are too many patients in the practice for one dentist to see. Additionally, if the dental practice is growing, an associate dentist can be brought on board to help with the increasing patient load. There are both pros and cons to working as an associate dentist.

Pros and cons of being an associate dentist

Being an associate dentist can be advantageous. When you finish dental school, you may not be ready to purchase or open your own dental practice. You may want to work in someone else’s office to get experience and learn how to run a business. Some dentists may never want the responsibility of owning their own office because it comes with similar challenges to running any type of business.

The downside of being an associate revolves around the fact that you are an employee. You do not have the same decision-making power as the owner dentist. The office may not be operated the way you would like or offer the services that you want to provide to patients. You also will not have the same income potential as an owner dentist because you are only getting paid for procedures you’re completing rather than getting a piece of the entire office earnings.

How is an associate dentist reimbursed?

This greatly depends on the location the dentist works, the experience the dentist has and what the owner feels comfortable paying. The associate dentist may be paid a straight salary, a percentage of the production (or collections) or a combination of both.

Salary or Per Diem –

The associate can negotiate on what they would like to be paid per day, depending on the amount of hours per day worked. This can be for a set amount of time – for example, for the first six months, the associate dentist will be paid $600 per day, then will only be paid on a percentage basis. Other times, this per diem can continue for the length of time the associate works in the office. There can also be a combination with percentage so the associate dentist will make a minimum per day or the percentage of the work that is completed, whichever is higher for that day.

Percentage of Production –

The associate is usually paid a percentage of what they produce, which is the most ideal circumstance. This means that whatever procedure the associate dentist completes, they will be paid a percentage of this production. Owner dentists are responsible for: paying other staff members, materials for the dental procedure, overhead cost of running the business and (potentially) any laboratory costs associated with the dental procedure.

Percentage of Collections –

This is much more common in certain areas and isn’t as advantageous to the associate dentist. Collections is the amount that the dental office collects from the patient or dental insurance company for the procedure that the associate dentist completed. This number can ultimately be lower than the production because there are often times when the dental office writes off a portion of what was collected or the patient doesn’t end up paying their portion for the procedure. This can mean that the associate dentist is getting a smaller percentage of what they actually did for that procedure.

How to be a successful associate dentist

Being an associate dentist means that you may need to go with the flow of the office. It can mean that you may need to adjust the way you prefer to do things or adapt to how the owner dentist wants things to be done. All dentists may have differing philosophies or differing ways of thinking about treatment options. Sometimes, the schools of thought can be due to lack of knowledge and it’s a great opportunity for the associate to learn and grow. Other times, it may be outdated advice that may make the situation more difficult. As an associate, the opportunity of the position and the potential downsides of working in the office need to be considered. Not every dental office will be a good fit for every associate dentist, but once the right team is found – it can be a great way to learn, grow and excel in the dental profession!

What to do when you want to have your own practice

Working as an associate dentist can be a great way to learn about how you want to run your own dental office in the future. You’ll be able to get a feel for the business side of dentistry, learn what procedures you like to do and see how other dental offices are operated. This can be a great stepping stone to opening your own dental office down the road! Talk to the owner dentist about how aspects of the business are run, so you can learn things that weren’t taught in dental school. Running a business can be the hardest parts of owning a practice, so getting experience and learning from someone who is already doing it can be invaluable!