The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 59

DENTISTRY | LOOKING BACK

IN 1980
LESS THAN 1
PERCENT OF
PRACTICING
DENTISTS WERE
FEMALE
There has been an evolution towards multiple doctor practices. The primary advantage is shared overhead costs. The other and just as important advantage is having
more contact with a colleague. Dentists who work alone can have a sense of isolation.
Having someone you can discuss patient and staff issues with is helpful.
What drives many new dentists towards the group practice model is student debt.
I came out of school with a debt that at the time seemed huge. But it is a fraction of
what these students are now facing. According to the ADA, the average dentist graduates with debt between $250,000 and $400,000.
Add to that at least the same amount to start or purchase a practice, and the challenge is huge. Many starting dentists need to be in an employment situation to tackle
the debt. Of dentists who have graduated in the past 10 years, 44 percent are employees. Those who have the desire to own their practice can find available practices to
buy. The baby boomers are getting ready to retire. Today, 52 percent of male dentists
are over 55 years old.
Besides size of practice, another choice a dentist can make is style of practice-how
many patients a day to see and what procedures to offer. There is the choice of what
insurance plans to accept or whether to accept any at all. Practice styles generally fall
into high-volume, insurance-based practices or low-volume fee-for-service practices.
There are pros and cons to each style and a dentist may decide based on business goals
and the dentist's own temperament.
What makes us different from the medical model is this practice choice. Almost
gone are the independent physicians. Aren't most working for the large medical corporations? Are they happy? I heard from several physicians of my generation who
are not. They started out in medicine with the vision of being independent but that
reality doesn't exist anymore. There is a trend of physicians' children going to dental
school. I don't have any facts to back that up but I see it happening. I enjoyed the
independence of being the practice owner.
And I should mention that last year I sold my practice to Dr. Anne Newman, who
is both a perfect example of the new wave of young dentists coming to the area, and
an exception to the non-ownership trend. She was able to pursue the practice purchase after working at a large dental office for a few years.
I hope I was as much a help to her in the transition as John Mingledorff was to
me back in '83. I
THEROANOKER.COM

DENTAL
SCHOOLS ARE
ALMOST 50/50
IN GENDER SPLIT
THERE ARE OVER
30 WOMEN
DENTISTS IN THE
ROANOKE VALLEY
AREA TODAY

JULY/AUGUST 2017 | 59



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The Roanoker - July/August 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - July/August 2017

The Roanoker July/August 2017 Table of Contents
Worth a Click
From the Editor
Lunch With . . .
Streets of Roanoke
The Gist
Events
Top Doctors 2017
Profiles in Medical Excellence (special section)
The Changing Face of Roanoke Dentistry
Amy Trail: A Journey of Education
Roanoke Valley Education: A March Forward
The Two-Wheeled Shepherd
Vinton: Great Little Town (special section)
The Stunning Mangus Home
The Strange Lure of Softball
Dining: Red Jasmine and Fork in the Alley
The Dish
NEW! Then & Now
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Intro
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover1
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover2
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 3
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Roanoker July/August 2017 Table of Contents
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 5
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 6
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 7
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Worth a Click
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 9
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - From the Editor
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Lunch With . . .
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Streets of Roanoke
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 13
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Gist
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 15
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Events
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 17
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 18
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Top Doctors 2017
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 20
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 21
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 22
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 23
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 24
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 25
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 26
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 27
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 28
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 29
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 30
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 31
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 32
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 33
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 34
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 35
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 36
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 37
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Profiles in Medical Excellence (special section)
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 39
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 40
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 41
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 42
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 43
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 44
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 45
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 46
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 47
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 48
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 49
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 50
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 51
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 52
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 53
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Changing Face of Roanoke Dentistry
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 55
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 56
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 57
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 58
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 59
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Amy Trail: A Journey of Education
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 61
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 62
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 63
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 64
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 65
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 66
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 67
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 68
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Roanoke Valley Education: A March Forward
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 70
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 71
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 72
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 73
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 74
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Two-Wheeled Shepherd
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 76
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 77
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 78
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 79
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 80
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 81
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 82
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Vinton: Great Little Town (special section)
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 84
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 85
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 86
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 87
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 88
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 89
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 90
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 91
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 92
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 93
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 94
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 95
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 96
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 97
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 98
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 99
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 100
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 101
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 102
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 103
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 104
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 105
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 106
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 107
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 108
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 109
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 110
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 111
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 112
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 113
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 114
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Stunning Mangus Home
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 116
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 117
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 118
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 119
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 120
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 121
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 122
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 123
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 124
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 125
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 126
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 127
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Strange Lure of Softball
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 129
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 130
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 131
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 132
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 133
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 134
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Dining: Red Jasmine and Fork in the Alley
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 136
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 137
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 138
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 139
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 140
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 141
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 142
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 143
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - 144
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - The Dish
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - NEW! Then & Now
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover3
The Roanoker - July/August 2017 - Cover4
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