ADAPT Blog

86% of graduating dental students report that they want to own a private practice within ten years of graduation. And 51% hope to do so in just five years, according to ADA data.

COVID-19 didn't really change these numbers. But COVID did decrease the amount of hands-on clinical time available to these graduating students.

As you think about the end of dental school, or how to plan your career, you’re probably wondering, “What's next?”

Far too often, I hear dental students say something like, “My only option is to grab the first job I can find. I know I’m going to be miserable while I increase my speed and clinical skills.” But you don’t need to feel that way!

Last week’s webinar, How Mentorship Can Enhance Your Career – No Matter What Phase You’re In, sparked so many questions that I couldn’t get through them all during the session! You can now watch the on-demand video.

A dental career offers so many potential paths. As your skills expand and interests evolve, it’s smart to periodically review your options. You might discover that you want to buy a practice, expand your services — or reduce your own hours. A family health issue, your partner’s career, or another factor might also prompt you to consider a change.

How can you think through what is right for you?

ADA Practice Transitions goes beyond practice transactions to focus on the whole transition. Rather than being just another listing service, we focus on connecting dentists who share a similar practice approach – which leads to more successful transitions and careers.

This week’s webinar explored exactly how (and why) we do things this way. Watch the replay, with ADAPT President & CEO Bill Robinson and VP of Dental Practice and Relationships, Dr. Suzanne Ebert, to learn:

• How ADAPT is designed to help you find a match and success long after the contracts are signed
• 10 ways that ADAPT is different from traditional practice transition options
• How to showcase your skills or practice to find the right match for you

We hear lots of questions about managing staff during practice transitions, so we made it the focus of last week’s ADA Practice Transitions Coffee Talk webinar.

Dr. Betsy Shapiro, ADA Director of Practice Management and the ADA Center for Professional Success, joined ADAPT’s Dr. Suzanne Ebert, Vice President of Dental Practice & Relationship Management, for this hour-long conversation. The two shared their experiences with managing staff through their own practice transitions, as well as lessons learned from working with other dentists.

Last week's ADA Practice Transitions Coffee Talk webinar featured advice on preparing your finances for a practice purchase.

Rob Westhoven, VP and Director of Dental Banking for Androscoggin Bank, explained how banks approach practice sales, including several possible options. He also answered several great questions from attendees about how COVID-19 may change the equation. 

Last week we kicked off new topics for the ADA Practice Transitions Coffee Talk webinar series with some fantastic advice from a pair of dental CPAs. Chris VanStraten and Andy McCarty of Baker Tilly, founding member of ADCPA, walked us through some of the ways that COVID-19 is changing dental practice sales.

During the webinar, Chris and Andy explored: