There will always be a place for solo doc private practices built on excellent clinic skills and strong personal relationships.
But, as the gap between UCR and PPO fees continues to widen, it’s going to become much more difficult to couple great dentistry with an amazing experience while remaining in-network unless you’re willing (and can afford) to see your income decline significantly.
Some dentists will successfully transition into low volume FFS boutiques, but you can only be so charming and at some point it won’t make sense for most consumers to pay full fee for an exam and prophy when it’s free down the street.
I tend to believe that middle class, bread and butter dentistry completed at PPO fees is being squeezed out of existence.
I’ve worked with my husband, a General Dentist, for the past 35 years. I have never seen anything like the downturn in business in my life. We have lost patients due to moving away and passing away and the new ones coming in just don’t have the same needs, or values.
I have also worked as a consultant to other offices, but even I am stumped at this point. He will only do what he will do and that consists of him referring out enough work to make the periodontist and surgeon rich. The endodontist gets some too. What does HE do? Only the finest restorative dentistry. There were 19 dentists in our small town and now there are 49. Aspen came in and almost every established practice added an associate.
We’ve never made a lot of money at this, but this year is absurd. I know how the others are surviving and he will never lower his standards, or start doing “iffy” “shady” procedures. The profession has gone to hell, in my opinion, although people keep voting it the #1 choice for occupations. ?