Looking for the Right Balance between Dentist as Manager and Dentist as Care Provider

In the quest to understand the implications of separating management and treatment, we must first examine the forces driving management decisions. By defining ownership and equity interest, we are able to isolate a critical factor in the decision-making process. Evaluating the spectrum of the different models of dentistry gives us insight into potential advantages as well as disadvantages that can arise. In private practice, an owner typically wants to see the business grow over a lifetime, while, on the other end of the spectrum, corporate dental companies may be prioritizing dividends, investment returns through speedy packaged sales, or other means of reporting progress to investors. Interestingly, each model of dentistry has shown strength and growth, but there is no clear path to what is deemed ideal.