HOW TO FIND A JOB AT A DENTAL OFFICE ?

The three most common ways to find a job as a dentist include job listings, dental societies & word of mouth.

Dental Job listings can be found on sites like craigslist & indeed. These sites store listings from dental practice owners all over the country. Simply input the location you want to work / job position to have access to a list of dental practices. When you click submit, there will be a variety of potential job opportunities at your fingertips. . . 

Each of these listings will tell you what they consider to be the "ideal" candidate. Some may require a minimum of 5 years experience while other are willing to accept new graduates immediately.

Typically, each listing will provide a description of services they look for in their candidate . . .

Some offices may want you to be adept in the full scope of dental services including molar root canals, surgical extractions, implant therapy & much more. . .

It's important for you to decide whether you are comfortable providing the full spectrum of services or if you want to solely stick to restorative dentistry.

Tip1: Don't be afraid to send out an application even if you do not match all the criteria listed in the job application. 

SALARY AT CORPORATE OFFICE VS PRIVATE PRACTICE?

Base Pay  

The three most basic salary models include percentage of production/collection, base salary & a combination of the two. 

Immediately out of dental school, you can expect a base salary between $500-$700 a day (According to anecdotal data from colleagues in Southern California). I've found that this pay is pretty standard for private practices hiring a new grad. 

A base salary is beneficial because it offers stable pay every day whether or not patients walk through the door. . . However, if you are performing more complex restorative work then you should consider a percentage of production. 

Percentage of Production/Collection

I've seen percentages that range from 24% - 33%.

These percentages vary depending on the expertise of the doctor & the complexity of treatment being offered. It's typically offered at corporate offices that have daily production goals. 

This model is beneficial to those that plan on working at a busy dental office or those that perform more complex procedures including wisdom tooth extraction, molar root canals & implant therapy. 

Combination

The last model involves some combination of base salary and percentage of production.

The dental practice owner will give you a minimum base salary; however, if your percentage of production exceeds the minimum then your compensation will be adjusted accordingly.

This model is unique because it gives new dentists a bit of financial security while still compensating them for the work they put in every single day. 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CORPORATE DENTAL OFFICE & PRIVATE PRACTICE?

Choosing a dental practice  can be an incredibly difficult decision. In this section, I want to go over some of the differences between working at a corporate office vs a private practice. 

DENTAL MENTORSHIP

I believe that finding an incredible mentor should be a goal for any dental graduate. Dentistry can break you down as it challenges your technical, interpersonal & leadership skills every single day.

It's one of the most challenging professions & having a great mentor will make your life easier during the most trying of times. 

I've been very fortunate to have mentors that have shaped my outlook on the type of dentistry I plan on practicing in the future. These relationship were fostered in private practices I worked for immediately after dental school.

There is nothing more powerful then watching how a dentist runs their practice & keeps their business productive. 

During my time at a corporate office, I was not able to find a mentor to lean on. Most dentists (including myself) were incredibly busy treating patients.

So, I definitely encourage new grads to consider working a few days at private dental office to gain that incredible mentorship immediately out of dental school.    

TYPES OF PROCEDURES

One of the most important things I considered when choosing a dental office was the types of dental procedures the office allowed me to do. You would think that all offices give you the autonomy to perform any dental procedure but that is simply not the case. 

Some corporate offices have specialists that perform extractions, orthodontics, gum surgeries & root canals. This ultimately leaves you with purely restorative work. Accordingly, if you are looking to expand your set of skills, this practice would not be for you. This is not limited to corporate as I've worked at some private practices that prefer I stick to basic restorative work. 

You have to decide what dentistry you are comfortable with & whether you want to do more complicated cases. If the answer is "yes", then you need to actively search for practices that allow you to do these procedures. 

PATIENT POPULATION

What is the patient population that you care to serve? Are you comfortable working in a low income community. Are you comfortable working for patients that are highly demanding? 

These are questions that you will have to find answers to as you discover what type of dentistry you wish to practice in the next 5 years. I have found that offices in low income communities have a much higher daily patient volume than dental practices in high income communities. 

This can be cumbersome; however, I have found that these patients are incredibly grateful, compassionate & loving.

On the other hand, you may work for a dental practice with an owner doc that has been there for over 20 years. Existing patient may feel; uncomfortable or even annoyed that they have to see "the new doc". 

These are problems that you may come across as you choose the right practice for you. 

OFFICE MANAGERS

Office managers can make your life miserable or wonderful so make sure that you choose an office that has an OM that works for you. The role of the office manager is to keep the practice productive & manage the entire team. 

As you work at dental practices, you may notice that the office manager will push certain treatment plans. They may question the types of procedures that you do.

This can be a very uncomfortable experience & you may have to make the decision to leave the office if you are unable to control the situation. 

I would recommend trying to work through differences with your office manager. Always place your ethics & moral responsibility to the care of you patients first. 

Well, I hope this blog cleared up any questions you may have about finding a job as a dentist. As always, I appreciate your time and make sure to check out my youtube channel down below!

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