Thursday, February 16

1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Navigating Associateships and Practice Transitions

CE: 3.0

This course will benefit current dental associates-owners and owners considering future associates.  It will discuss the need for compatible philosophies of practice, describe variables to match team-member personalities and examine if the practice and the practice owner are truly ready for an associate, including practice financial parameters. The presenter will discuss some of the key contractual employment issues including compensation, benefits, patient assignment, how to handle clinical “redos”, how to pay for the lab bill; non-competes/restrictive covenants and how to manage accounts receivable if the associate leaves.

 Learning objectives

  1. To discuss the need for compatible philosophies of practice
  2. To describe variables to match team-member personalities 
  3. To examine if the practice and the practice owner are truly ready for an associate, including practice financial parameters
  4. To discuss some of the key contractual employment issues including compensation, benefits, patient assignment, how to handle clinical “redos”, how to pay for the lab bill; non-competes/restrictive covenants; how to manage accounts receivable if the associate leaves
  5. To analyze reasons associateships fail to result in long-term employment and/or practice buy-in/buy-out.
  6. To describe some essential steps to make the associateship successful.
  7. To articulate when it makes financial sense for an associate to buy or buy-into private practice.

Professor David Dunning

Dr. Dunning has an extensive background in patient communication and dental practice management.  After serving for 37 years as a faculty member at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dr. Dunning retired in January 2022 as professor emeritus.  Dr. Dunning served as the lead editor of two editions of a textbook, Dental Practice Transition—A Practical Guide to Management. He wrote or co-wrote over 60 scholarly articles in scientific journals, plus many book chapters. Dr. Dunning served for many years as a national leader of the Section on Practice Management of the American Dental Education Association. He also has over 32 years of combined leadership experience on organizational boards.