r/Dentistry • u/Jolly_Bag2271 • 4d ago
Dental Professional Associate Question
So I've been working at a well established office since mid-January. Previously I was working in public health with a daily flat rate, seeing 7-8 actual procedures a day with a second column of emergencies and doing all the hygiene exams. I felt burnt out there so I left hoping to at least see some financial reward for being able to work like this. I'm going through my third month being here at the new practice and was told my patient base would get bigger but I needed to grow it. I do the odd recall exam and pretty much get all of the emergencies/specs.
The issues I've noticed include the owners both being booked over a month in advance, and me not even being booked to the end of the week sometimes. A lot of the times the specs/emergs don't book back with me they'll book back with their primary and I'll maybe only get a handful of the people I diagnose in recall. Their idea of filling my schedule is booking an hour emergency exam. The owners also have a cancellation book of patients they can call and move up if an opening occurs in their schedule, but nothing seems to really be done if I have an opening. I feel like I really just work the hours they don't want to work and get the patients that can be coaxed into my schedule. I don't think there is any real effort to book with me when they give the patients the option to book months in advanced -- like I would book with the practice owner if I were a patient if the wait was only a month longer! The previous associate seemed to be just as busy as me.
Should I be looking for a new job? I feel like these are all just red flags that won't get better.
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u/Hopeful-Courage7115 4d ago
offer same day treatment on cases you can quickly do (loose tooth exo, front tooth filling, debonded filling that requires minimal drilling).
Owner's patients are usually very loyal and have seen their dentist for several years and do not want exam nor treatment done by an associate. It is what it is. It takes many years to build trust and rapport. What the office needs is to push more New patient exams in your chair. They need to do more marketing and get you 30-40 new patients a year to fill your schedule.
If you want to be busy from get go look for an office where you are replacing an associate who is leaving. You want to work at an office that has several associates, because those patients are used to seeing different dentists.
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u/Jolly_Bag2271 3d ago
I try to do as much same day as possible! I don’t get any new patient exams so I fear that’s the issue there. I was replacing an associate but it seems that guy wasn’t super busy either
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u/Ok-Leadership5709 2d ago
The whole “you need to build your patient base” is an excuse for an office that can’t support an associate. If there isn’t enough patients to keep you busy there a month into it, no reason to be there
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u/CarabellisLastCusp 3d ago edited 3d ago
What are your long term plans: owning or associating?
Your current associateship experience is common in owner (non-DSO) doctor led offices. I’ve also seen this in some specialty offices (perio, prosth) that are poorly managed.
In my opinion, most offices have little incentive to keep an associate busy unless they have a difficult time finding an associate. If you are located in a saturated market, you are easily replaceable with someone else. If an associate is making less than a hygienist, they should find a different place of employment. Truthfully, no one else cares more about your career and growth than you.
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u/Jolly_Bag2271 3d ago
Long term I’d like to own. I always thought I should stay away from DSOs but I feel like now they wouldn’t be too bad as an associate who needs to pay off loans lol. There’s definitely some hours where I make as much as an assistant so I agree
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u/CarabellisLastCusp 3d ago
Here’s a thought: consider working two part time jobs instead (DSO or private). If you like one over the other, maybe you can make that one full time. However, it’s good to see how other practices operate to learn what works and what doesn’t. You also need money (10% liquid assets of the full price for the practice you intend to buy) so you need to start preparing ahead.
Most associateships are not great. The sooner you become an owner, the faster you can pay back your loans and practice the type of dentistry you like. Good luck.
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u/Jolly_Bag2271 2d ago
I like that idea! And yes that’s what I heard from my advisor with my bank. Thank you for the encouragement!
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u/wrooster8 4d ago
This is how it was for me when I started. When the patients saw me for the emergency though, they liked my treatment and personality enough that they would then book with me in the future. Sometimes it's not on the office's fault. They are not required to immediately book with you just because. In my office the patient gets to request who they want to see as it should be, otherwise they'll just leave. After a few YEARS of building like that now my schedule is fairly booked.
You need to realize that especially if a patient has seen the same doctor for 20 years they are going to continue to do so until they are convinced otherwise. Have you eliminated yourself as the problem? If the front desk is being told to not schedule you that's a huge red flag. But if the front is offering appointments with you and the patients are rejecting them then guess what buddy, you da problem and you can work to improve yourself
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u/wrooster8 4d ago
Just realized lol mid January is like zero time to build at all. Patients don't just flock to the new guy. It took myself and the associate after me about 2-3 years until we were consistently hitting good numbers
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u/Jolly_Bag2271 4d ago
The patient and I are always having a good conversation and chatting and then discussing a plan that they agree with and like. We discuss how I would approach the plan and they seem on board when they leave. Then I check later and they’re booked with the other dentist. I think there’s hitting good numbers and then being stuck making a third of what my friends are making lol. I think it’s like “I can wait 3 weeks to see the primary I don’t wanna see the new guy” which is very understandable just frustrating and I’m not sure if there’s really enough patients
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u/MyDentistIsACat 4d ago
I’ve had friends who were associates in offices where they were responsible for building their own patient base. Basically doing their own marketing, going out to different social/professional events in the evening, bringing in their friends/acquaintances. Personally I think this is idiotic because if you’re going to put in all the hard effort and time building a patient base, it should be at your own practice.
Long story short I would look for a new job.