Dentaltown March 2020 - 48

message board
jhobgoDDS
Member Since: 06/15/15
Post: 37 of 207

These associateship success stories are right up there with Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel
as some of my favorite fairy tales. If there are such associateships, they are incredibly rare-
probably the top 0.01%-and you can't base a career or life decision on the fact that 0.01% is
that successful. More than likely, OP will fall into a more typical scenario and be a 1099 in a
corporate mill, struggling to make $120K at 17% collections while paying down what is likely
enormous debt and just trying to stay afloat. Or get screwed over by a cheapskate private practice
owner, (also as a 1099, of course).
I hope not-I hope OP is the unicorn, but I'm not holding my breath. ■
12/28/2019

drpainlus
Member Since: 03/01/04
Post: 38 of 207

I always have felt that the dentist population is a microcosm of the general population.
And going back over the years, I've posted these same sentiments here on DT several times.
Seems like every eight years or so, this confusion, struggle and self-doubting among many of our
colleagues pops up for discussion.
I hate to say it, and I'm sure most agree: It's getting worse, and it's gonna become much worse
and probably unrecognizable to most of us in about 20 years. ■

12/28/2019

caninecommando
Member Since: 05/02/11
Post: 42 of 207

The other thing no one is touching on is some of this also comes down to how much of a
money-grubber piece of junk you are. I'm currently working as an associate while looking for
a practice and I replaced a "producer." From what I've seen over the past few months, he was
crowning every damn thing he saw, and extracting teeth that could be saved with a very good
prognosis because he doesn't do RCTs but does do implants.
Every patient needed Invisalign for their minor crowding or they'd lose their teeth. People
with no signs of wear needed bite guards, etc. He produced three times what the other associates
in the same office did. He even went so far as ignoring cavities because he didn't like doing
fillings and he'd wait for them to get bigger for a crown. ■

12/29/2019

Profitable GPs
Member Since: 05/14/19
Post: 47 of 207

Good money can be made ethically. I get 27% of super-low Medicaid fees. I do a lot of
work diagnosed by others and sometimes I have to refuse or reduce treatment that was already
approved. The manager and the owner must be upset, but they never question my decision,
because they know I'm doing the right thing for the patient and for the practice in the long run.
There is plenty of work for everyone. We just have to find the right town and right practice for
us. We are the most efficient when we are satisfied, and we are satisfied when we are productive. ■

12/29/2019

randy9798
Member Since: 12/06/17
Post: 48 of 207

There is no shortage of needed work-the problem is people willing to pay for work. Not
enough people have the money to do work at high fees. The ones who need the most work are
in abundance on very reduced fees on Medicaid schedules. Not everyone has Laz-type efficiency
and can make it work with Medicaid-type fees. Molar endo at Medicaid fees can be profitable
at 30 minutes; the percent of people who can do it that well and that fast is very a short list. ■
12/29/2019

tgagnon
Member Since: 02/14/06
Post: 64 of 207

Listen to Dr. Howard Farran's 2014 podcast with Bruce Baird if you haven't already. Efficient
execution of what is in front of you is the real "game changer." ■
12/30/2019

Head online to read more (and stream the podcast)!
Townies had a lot of good advice about what to expect when first starting out-including a suggestion
to listen to one of Howard Farran's podcasts with Dr. Bruce Baird of Productive Dental Academy. We'll
post the full message board thread, and a link to that podcast, online at dentaltown.com/magazine.

MARCH 2020 // dentaltown.com

DT0320_MB3_Income_AG.indd 48

2/18/20 2:28 PM

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Dentaltown March 2020

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