Group Practices and Partnerships: A traditional model that Fits Many Situations.

The traditional group practice model can take many forms, including general practitioners, specialists, and combinations, as well as solo practitioners sharing space and staff, partnerships, and other legal entities. These practices may share some or all staff functions, including contracting for some functions. The essential characteristic is that those treating patients also have full control over and often direct management of the business aspects of the practice. The most important requirements for success in this model may be a common philosophy of patient care and mutual trust regarding business matters.

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.