lections rate . Additionally , they must be willing to take a loss on the percentage which they are unable to collect , while still paying their doctors . This requires a lot of trust from the business ’ s point of view . If you come across a contract which pays on production , take a closer look . A commonly used term is “ adjusted production ”. Realistically , these practices must make “ adjustments ”, ie . estimate what they believe they can collect from the associate ’ s work and possibly deduct it from the associate ’ s pay later if they are not able to collect . The obvious reason is , no business can afford to pay out what they do not receive . They must first collect what is produced , pay their overhead expenses , and take a profit before they can pay their associates . Although you may try to negotiate the percentage , most long standing practices will have already determined what they can and cannot pay and are not likely to offer different percentages to different associates .
The next factor which can influence doctor pay are the hidden deductions . Some practices may offer a high percentage but have hidden deductions which can greatly influence a provider ’ s pay . For example , most offices do not pay their doctors on sealants or x-rays because technically , this is work performed by RDAs and not doctors . These are two common deductions . However , there can be many and they are based solely upon the discretion of the individual practice .
The best way to find out more is to ask current associates before signing a lengthy contract . Are you responsible for your own lab fees ? If so , that is a significant deduction . I hired a doctor who had over twenty years of experience and was extremely proficient in all aspects of general dentistry . When she got her first paycheck at my office , she told me she was shocked at how high it was . She said that she had worked for numerous offices and got paid a much higher percentage at some but had never taken home nearly as much due to all the deductions .
Since most practices pay their associates based on collections , you must be able to place a high level of trust in the business when it comes to what is collected on your behalf . Seek out a business that offers transparency . How accessible are the records ? What is their collections rate ? Is it solidly in the 97 % range or above ?
Remember , it does not matter what you are able to produce . If you are paid on collections and the practice is unable to collect on what you produced , you will be taking home nothing for the work you performed . The best way to find out before locking yourself into a long term contract is to ask current associates . Ask how invested the office is in your collections rate . A smart practice will give you guidance and constant reminders when they are missing notes , pocket depths , x-rays , and etc . Ask other associates if the practice has a competent billing department that sends out complete claims in a timely manner .
Some practices will offer a base guarantee , but this is neither in the best interest of the provider nor the business . The purpose of the base guarantee is to cover the associate in case the office takes a long time to collect what the doctor initially produces . If the practice has a high collections rate and is able to collect most of their associates ’ work in under a month , base pay becomes irrelevant and actually serves as a crutch for new graduates and discourages less skilled providers from developing their speed and hand skills . Keep in mind , all businesses which offer guaranteed base pay , have a minimum amount which they must collect in order to keep their associates and those who do not produce enough will ultimately be let go . For thriving dental practices which have a high collections rate , there is no reason to have a base guarantee .
Another important component which may affect an associate ’ s pay is the insurance plans the practice accepts . Does the practice take DMO ( Dental Maintenance Organization ) plans ? These plans pay the practice a monthly capitation fee , whether or not the patient is seen . The DMO assumes that the monthly fee will cover what is needed by all of its assigned patients . Therefore the fee for each procedure is either very low or , in some cases , nothing at all . This makes it very challenging to associates who are paid on a percentage because even a hundred percent of zero is still zero .
The best way to find out more is to ask current associates before signing a lengthy contract .
In many cases , even the more experienced associates are forced to supplement their income by performing more technique-sensitive elective procedures such as braces , implants , botox , and etc . Unfortunately , this can leave the new graduates in a stressful predicament as they are suddenly locked into a long contract which may offer a high percentage but the work that they do is paid little to nothing and they do not yet have the skills and certifications needed to perform the elective procedures which the senior doctors are able to perform .
Again , ask current associates , specifically other junior associates , if possible , what their average take home pay is and what procedures they must do in order to take home that amount . Questions to ask the senior doctors are , how many years have you been practicing dentistry ? Do you perform all aspects of general dentistry ? Are there any non GP procedures which you typically do in order to take home the average pay ? If you , as a new associate , are not yet proficient in all aspects of dentistry , will you be expected to perform the more challenging procedures such as RCTs , surgical extractions , and crowns ? If you need help with difficult procedures , will a more experienced doctor be there to help guide you ?
I had a chance to interview a very pleasant young doctor who told me that she was stuck under contract at a practice which
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