Have you heard that DSOs are BAD for the dental profession? understand the fear …

But I would argue it’s a fear of the unknown.

Let’s take a look at the facts.

Consider that DSOs have provided a lifeline for many dentists seeking eventual transition or monetization of their equity.

You won’t practice dentistry forever. And, the decisions you make, or fail to make, today, will have a HUGE impact on your future. 

Did you know your patients benefit by you belonging to a DSO

Easier access to care

DSOs have much higher purchasing power that enables dentists to accept more types of insurance plans and provide a higher caliber of services that patients appreciate and can afford.

They get to see your smiling face more often

Are you one of the many doctors who have no clear idea of what their practice is worth today?

Or, no idea of the kind of rewarding purchase agreements, and flexible post-sale employment agreements that can be designed  to meet your dream outcome.

These agreements can be so tempting, many doctors who never imagined that they could bank millions of dollars –

AT THIS STAGE OF THEIR CAREER – are doing exactly that.

Several months ago, I received a call from a dentist I had been talking to about his retirement plan. Immediately after I said "Hello?" I heard "One of my associate dentists heard I had been talking to you and asked if I'd be willing to sell her my practice.

You may think, “I am doing well. I make a lot of money. I love what I do. Why would I join a DSO?”

The first reason would be; you trained to be a dentist, not an administrator. You received little, if any training on running the management side.

Other benefits to consider joining the right DSO may include;

The travel agency model has been slammed as consumers flock to websites like Expedia, Hotels.com and Trivago. And it's logical to wonder if dental offices will suffer the same fate. 

Obviously, there are still travel agents and for the most part, they still serve customers that want the reassurance of going to an agent that has actually visited a particular area or resort. And also obviously, there are going to be procedures that must be performed by a dental specialist in an operator. But perhaps now is the time to have a fresh set of eyes look at your practice and evaluate the threats that you may not see. Specifically:

As inflation soars to the highest level in 40 years and interest rates rise, it's natural that owners worry about the effect that a recession might  have on their practice.

Fortunately, there is still time to take action whether you plan to ride out the recession and keep the practice or sell it now so you won't have to worry about it at all.

Over the long term, profitability is essential to practice and is the first metric that prospective buyers will look at when assessing their level of interest in buying a particular business. But savvy buyers also look at cash flow because it is the metric that tells them if the practice can pay its bills on a month-to-month basis. 

So, you've decided that you might want to sell your practice... But how long will it take? A week? A month? 6 months? Maybe a year? The truth is - the right answer is: It depends.