Things to Consider During a Dental Practice Transition - Careers

Each year, many dentists think about all that goes into a dental practice transition. A newly minted dentist may be buying his or her practice for the first time, or a more seasoned dentist may be purchasing a different one. Regardless of the case, there are a number of things to think about when a dentist first buys a new office. These include whether or not to keep existing staff, how to keep all of the existing patients and to reach out to new ones, and whether or not to update equipment. Each of these different areas will be discussed in more detail below.

To begin, a dentist has to consider whether or not to keep the staff at the office that he or she is purchasing. In many cases, this would be a good idea as the staff people, who include receptionists, hygienists, assistants, and possibly another associate dentist or two, would be good to keep on as existing patients tend to be comfortable- especially if they have been with the practice for a number of years. In other situations, especially those in which the dentist buying the entity has been established himself or herself, it may be a good idea to add to the existing staff with his or her personnel if a budget allows. Otherwise, some hard decisions will have to be made.

A dentist buying a new office also has to look for ways to keep the existing patients who had been patronizing the practice before he or she purchased it. There is always the chance that patients may follow the dentist who sold the office, but in many cases, a good number of people will continue to come to the same office to have their teeth taken care of. Keeping existing staff (if they are good of course) and not making dramatic changes in prices will help to keep existing patients on, as will making the office a very hospitable and customer friendly environment. Dentists also need to look to add their existing patient base. Accepting more insurances and using different marketing methods can aid in this.

Last but not least, dentists buying new offices need to think about whether or not they want to keep existing equipment in their new practice. Upgrading items can cost a lot of money, but it may be worth it if the new technology leads to faster procedures which further enhance the practice's bottom line.

In conclusion, there is a lot of for a dentist to consider when purchasing a new office. These items include whether or not to keep existing staff at the practice, how to retain current patients, and whether or not to upgrade office equipment.