January/February 2018 | Page 26

Two Issues, One Simple Solution By David A. Moffa, DMD, MAGD, Transition Consultant, PARAGON Dental Practice Transitions The typical general dentistry practice in today’s tough economic environment has a 60 percent overhead, leaving 40 percent of the practice collections to filter down to the doctor. Many doctors are staying on into their late 60s and 70s because they “enjoy what they do,” or just don’t want to quit. They start to treat their practices as a hobby, and not a business. They slow down, take more time off and refer out more complicated procedures, resulting in declining gross revenue and increasing overhead. I see many doctors in this model, enjoying what they do, but don’t realize they are working for well below 30 percent of collections, because they are supporting all the overhead and liabilities associated with running a practice. This is a very risky model on many levels. Why not continue practicing for more money, less stress and truly “enjoy” what you are doing for years to come?