Question About Buying A Dental Practice

[TheBestGuy]

Out of curiosity, during the career arc of a dentist, are there dentists that never end up buying/owning/starting up a practice e.g. they work as associates for the entirety of their career?

[z3u2]

yes

not everyone want to be a business owner.

Running a dental practice is different from working as a dentist.

[cleanup]

Out of curiosity, during the career arc of a dentist, are there dentists that never end up buying/owning/starting up a practice e.g. they work as associates for the entirety of their career?

 

If all you care about is the clinical part of dentistry, you probably don't want the hassle of owning a small business.

[Arztin]

Hi, just for my own curiosity, what are some of the reasons you wouldn't want to be an owner?

[member_225]

I like freedom and flexibility and going home when the day is done and not even thinking about work. I like not having to manage staff or care what supplies cost, I like nothing other than dentistry being my concern.

 

That said, there are a lot of non financial benefits to owning that are harder to find as an associate: autonomy, choice of materials and equipment, etc, etc. It can be harder to find an associate position where you are treated extremely well and given a lot of freedom, but they are out there.

 

The main benefit to owning is still a financial one, and there's pretty much no arguing against that if the financial is important to you. The level of financial gain compared to effort is pretty good, which is why most people choose to own.

I just really don't want to do it. I grew up with my parents as small business owners and simply don't enjoy the mentality and went to university to get away from that life, I'm not about to go back to it now.

 

Yea I agree, my parents told me that if you own, work is constantly in the back of your mind whereas an employee would go to work and go home relatively stress free. I like to think of it as a test vs a project. A test is over in a day whereas a project is always on your mind until the due date. 

[TheBestGuy]

I like freedom and flexibility and going home when the day is done and not even thinking about work. I like not having to manage staff or care what supplies cost, I like nothing other than dentistry being my concern.

 

That said, there are a lot of non financial benefits to owning that are harder to find as an associate: autonomy, choice of materials and equipment, etc, etc. It can be harder to find an associate position where you are treated extremely well and given a lot of freedom, but they are out there.

 

The main benefit to owning is still a financial one, and there's pretty much no arguing against that if the financial is important to you. The level of financial gain compared to effort is pretty good, which is why most people choose to own.

I just really don't want to do it. I grew up with my parents as small business owners and simply don't enjoy the mentality and went to university to get away from that life, I'm not about to go back to it now.

 

In essence, what you're saying is, if you don't want to own and/or aren't good at running business and taking on many more responsibilities, don't do it? 

 

In addition, since an owner has to manage and care about costs and supplies and and take on so much more, it would have to be a disporportionately higher financial gain compared to associateship?

 

Finally, you say most ppl choose to own?  But then, don't most practices have one or more associates?  If so, wouldn't this mean <50% of ppl actually end up as owners of practices?