Imagine this… both of your hygienists need an exam at the same time. Your team squeezed in an emergency over lunch after squeezing in two in the morning and the Class 2 “ring thing-y” just flew across the room and is pinging around on the floor. You start thinking to yourself… I need help or else I am going to move into the middle of the woods and live with the forest creatures. Maybe I can do implant overdentures on turtles. Do turtles have good dental insurance?
You are snapped out of your daydream by your hygienists giving you a painfully strong eye roll that says “if you DO NOT get to my exam soon, I am going to sprain one of my eyes.” You don’t need to move into the middle of the woods, you need an associate… or do you?
Hiring a dental associate to share in the joys of “full contact dental arts and crafts” sounds awesome, but it can also be awful. Why? Because some practice owners tend to hire an associate REACTIVELY due to stress, instead of PROACTIVELY due to a well thought out business treatment plan for the practice.
I want to share 3 Questions you should ask yourself as a solo dentist practice owner BEFORE hiring an associate…
Question #1
Am I cool with making less money for the first year of the associate working in my practice?
If the answer is NO, stop and don’t hire an associate. The practice owner looking to hire an associate is dentisting at max capacity and may be very stressed, but is likely very profitable. When you hire an associate, you are sharing production. You do less dentistry and make less money. For some dentists, they are totally cool with making less money if they can do fewer Class 2s. Some dentists cannot make less money because they have to send multiple children to college and make their next boat payment on a boat they named after the Krebs cycle.
If your answer is YES… I am cool with making less money, then move on to question number 2.
Question #2
“Do I want to mentor and manage another dentist during my daily dental day?”
If your answer is NO, this will never work. Don’t hire an associate. An associate dentist may be super competent clinically, but they have never worked with your team, your materials, your operatory stool, your patients, your delivery unit that sometimes needs a few taps on the right side to get going . . . think of it like cooking a meal in someone else’s kitchen. The associate may know how to cook, but the associate will need a lot of questions answered along the way. This requires a special energy on your part as a practice owner. I happen to enjoy this part of having an associate, but you know you. If this is not you, don’t hire an associate. Also, your associate may be very enthusiastic, but very inexperienced clinically. Clinical mentorship is a normal and necessary part of the process.
If your answer is YES… I look forward to mentoring a new dentisting human, move on to our third and final question.
Question #3
“Do I want to share my patient relationships and team with another dentist?”
Your patients will hear another “dentist voice” in their treatment planning, and your team will experience a new face in their practice management life. That is one of my favorite parts of the process, but it can cause clinical and practice management confusion.
Hiring an associate should be proactive, not reactive. Don't make the decision under stress. It's important to assess whether you're ready for the changes it may bring.
For more information about the numbers, the profit, the EBITDA (a great name for your second boat) and systems for success, become a Dental Nachos Supreme member and get 365-day access to our Nacho On-Demand CE platform, and 10% off other Nacho toppings, including in-person event tickets.
Leave comments, questions and other good names for boats below!
Need an associate? Visit dentistjobconnect.com
