How Associate Dentist Contracts Tilt the Math Against Associates

Associate dentist contracts often contain fine print that quietly shifts income away from the associate and toward the practice owner. The headline terms might sound fair – e.g. “30% of adjusted production, $700/day minimum, benefits included”, but the detailed wording can claw back a lot of value. Below we break down several common contract clauses and tactics that can significantly reduce an associate’s take-home pay without the associate immediately realizing it.

1. The Lab Fee “Shell Game”

Lab fees are a significant expense for many dental procedures (crowns, dentures, aligners, etc.), and some contracts make the associate pay a portion (or even 100%) of those lab costs. The problem is when the percentage of lab fee you pay is higher than the percentage of production you earn. In a fair split, if you earn 30% of the revenue, you should only bear 30% of the lab bill (since lab costs are part of overhead). Often, though, contracts offload a disproportionate share of lab fees onto associates:

• Example: One associate was offered 27% of production but had to pay 50% of lab fees. If a crown costs the patient $1,000 and involves a $200 lab fee, a fair 27% split would yield $270 in pay minus $54 (27% of the $200 lab cost) = $216 net. Instead, under the 50% lab fee clause, the associate would get $270 minus $100 = $170 net, which is effectively only 17% of the total production[1][2]. In other words, the extra lab fee burden quietly drops the real rate from 27% to 17% of production.

• Industry norms: Many employers recognize this principle. It’s common for associates to be paid around 30–35% of collections, with an equivalent share of lab fees if lab costs are passed on. For instance, a typical offer might be “35% of collections minus 35% of lab fees,” which effectively nets about 33%[3][4]. In fact, Dental Economics’ editor Dr. Chris Salierno argues that if an associate is expected to cover all their lab fees (which roughly account for 10% of revenue), the compensation should be about 40% instead of 30% to keep things equitable[5]. Otherwise, the practice is double-dipping: taking 70% of production for overhead and also making the associate pay a chunk of that overhead (lab).

• Red flag to watch: “Associate responsible for __% of lab fees.” Always check if that percentage matches your commission rate. If you get 30% of production but must pay 50% or 100% of lab costs, the contract is skewed against you. As one experienced dentist put it, “Lab fee should be equal to percentage of compensation”[6]. Vague wording like “associate pays a reasonable portion of lab fees” is also problematic – insist on clarity and parity in the percentage.

Why it matters: Lab fee manipulation can substantially reduce your income on higher-cost procedures. It effectively lowers your true commission rate. Unfortunately, some associates don’t realize this until after starting the job, when they notice expensive lab cases barely boost their paycheck. Always run the math on any lab fee clause before signing.

2. Two-Week (or Multi-Week) Averaging of Production

Another subtle way contracts tilt the math in the owner’s favor is by averaging your production over a longer pay period (typically two weeks) before calculating your commission. On the surface, language like “30% of adjusted production calculated over a bi-weekly pay period” sounds innocuous – you still get your percentage, right? But averaging can dilute high-production days with low-production days, reducing your overall pay compared to a true day-by-day calculation.

How it works: Instead of paying you 30% of each day’s production (with a daily minimum guarantee if applicable), the office pools all your production for, say, two weeks, subtracts adjustments, then pays 30% on that sum. If your contract also includes a daily minimum or “base” pay, the averaging means the total base for the pay period is subtracted from the total, and only the excess is paid as bonus. This setup benefits the employer in any scenario where you have some strong days and some slow days:

• If you have a killer Week 1 and a slow Week 2, the slow week drags down your average. For example, imagine you produce \$10,000 in Week 1 and nothing in Week 2. If you were paid purely on production daily, you’d earn 30% of Week 1’s \$10k (= \$3,000), and likely some minimum pay for Week 2 (say \$800/day for 5 days = \$4,000), totaling \$7,000. Under a two-week averaging model, your total two-week production is \$10k, 30% of which is \$3,000, plus perhaps the guaranteed base for the slow days. But because the high week’s earnings are averaged with the low week, you might end up only getting the guaranteed base for both weeks (if the base was \$4,000 per week, you’d just get \$4,000 for the period – the big Week 1 doesn’t fully boost your pay because it only went toward covering the shortfall of Week 2). In short, your high-production days effectively subsidize the low-production days from the employer’s perspective.

• Strategic scheduling: In some cases, offices could even schedule your big cases unevenly – for instance, clustering high-revenue treatments in one week and lighter check-ups or downtime in the next – knowing that the two-week averaging will cap your pay. Every procedure you do is not actually getting paid at 30% if strong days are offset by weak days. One Reddit discussion among dentists confirmed that many offices “typically [calculate] averaged over the pay period for simplicity,” rather than settling up each day[7]. Simplicity for the office, however, can mean a pay cut for the associate.

• Daily vs. period pay example: A dentist on an online forum described a scenario consistent with this: “I’ll assume you are paid 1/3 of collections up to \$500 per day (daily base rate) and 25% of anything above \$1,500 per day, averaged per pay period.”[8] In that real contract, any day where collections exceeded \$1,500 would only yield a bonus if the overall two-week collections averaged out high enough. A great day could be nullified by a slow day. The associate in that case was frustrated that despite some busy days, their bi-weekly paycheck was disappointingly low due to the averaging mechanism.

• Red flag to watch: Phrases like “averaged across a pay period”, “bi-weekly calculation”, or any indication that production/collections from multiple days will be pooled before applying your percentage. The best practice for associates is “payable as earned,” i.e. true commission on each day or each individual pay period without averaging. If a daily minimum guarantee is involved, clarify whether it’s truly a guarantee (not clawed back) and whether it’s applied daily or only as an average. An honest setup will pay the guarantee on slow days and still pay your full percentage on productive days – not make your good days cover the bad days.

In summary, two-week averaging tends to benefit the employer by smoothing out peaks in your production, often resulting in you only hitting the minimum guarantee for the period when a day-by-day calculation would have paid you more. Try to negotiate for straight percentage on each day’s production or at least weekly calculations, so you fully benefit from any high-production days you earn.

3. The “Draw” System – Advances with Clawbacks

Many Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) and some private practices use a “draw against commission” system. This is essentially an advance on your future earnings: they pay you a fixed amount (daily or monthly), but your earned commission is calculated over a longer period (e.g. monthly or quarterly). If your actual production/collection % earnings don’t equal or exceed the draw, you owe back the difference. In other words, it’s a recoverable draw, not a true guaranteed base salary.

• How a draw works: You might be “guaranteed” \$650 per day (as a draw). Each pay period, you get paid this base amount (say \$650 × number of days worked). Then at the end of the month or quarter, the practice totals your production/collections and calculates your commission (e.g. 30% of collections). If your commission earnings are more than the draw paid, you get the extra as a bonus. But if your commission is less than the draw you already received, the deficit is carried forward as a debt (or sometimes immediately deducted from your paycheck). Essentially, any amount by which you “under-produce” relative to the draw will be recouped from future earnings[9].

• Example: Suppose you work 20 days in a month with a \$650/day draw, so you received \$13,000 in advances. Your contract rate is 30% of collections. If in that month you only produced \$35,000 in billings with, say, \$30,000 actually collected (assuming some still in insurance A/R), your commission at 30% is \$9,000. You’ve been paid \$13,000, so now you have a -\$4,000 deficit. The contract will typically carry that -\$4,000 forward to the next month – meaning the next month’s commissions first go toward clearing this “debt” before you earn any additional pay. This can snowball if low production continues.

• End result: The associate bears all the risk of slow business. If the practice doesn’t fill your schedule or patients don’t show/pay, you end up owing the practice for those slow days. It’s essentially a no-interest loan to you that you must pay back with your labor. One legal article bluntly explained: “The draw is offset against the associate's future collections… The associate should be very cautious… and needs to know whether any excess draw must be repaid if employment is terminated.”[10] In many contracts, if you leave while “in the hole,” they will withhold your last paycheck or even demand repayment for the negative balance.

• Recoverable vs. non-recoverable draw: To be fair, not all draws are bad. A non-recoverable draw or true guarantee means if you fall short, that shortfall is not clawed back – the employer eats the loss. But most draws in dental contracts are recoverable unless stated otherwise[11]. Always clarify this. The contract might use terms like “reconciled” or “advanced against future commissions.” If it doesn’t explicitly say you keep the base pay regardless of production, assume it’s a loan. An experienced dental consultant writes: “Let me say this clearly: most draws in dental contracts are recoverable unless stated otherwise.”[12].

• Red flag to watch: Phrases such as “draw to be reconciled against production,” “advances may be offset against earned commission,” or any mention that a guaranteed pay is “for a limited time and will be trued-up” later. Also, ask what happens if you leave with a negative balance – some contracts stipulate that you must pay it back upon termination (which in some states could violate wage laws, but that’s another issue). A true guaranteed base salary (non-recoverable) is safer for you: it means the practice shoulders the risk of low patient flow, as they should if they control marketing and scheduling.

In summary, the draw system can leave associates stunned when they realize a “guaranteed” paycheck wasn’t truly guaranteed. It shifts risk onto you and can reduce your earnings in slow periods or early in your tenure. Always get clarity: is the base pay a floor with no strings, or is it essentially an advance you’ll have to earn out? The difference is thousands of dollars and a lot of stress. As one guide advises, don’t assume a draw is free money; ask explicitly if it’s recoverable and get it in writing[13].

4. Overly Broad “Adjusted Production” Definitions (Stacked Deductions)

Most associates are paid on net or adjusted production/collections rather than gross production. It’s reasonable to exclude things like insurance write-offs – the practice can’t pay you on money it never actually receives. However, some contracts define “adjusted production” in extremely broad ways, subtracting almost every imaginable cost or loss from your total before calculating your percentage. The result is you might be promised “30% of production,” but by the time they finish adjusting, it’s 30% of a much smaller number.

Common deductions and exclusions to watch for in the fine print of “Adjusted Production” or “Net Collections”:

• Insurance contractual write-offs: If the office charges \$1,500 for a crown but the PPO insurance allows only \$1,000, the extra \$500 is written off. Most contracts will not pay you on that \$500 (understandably). In an insurance-heavy practice, these write-offs drastically cut your production credit. For example, one associate shared a report where their gross production for a period was \$36,691, but after PPO write-offs and other adjustments it dropped to \$19,304 in “Net Production.”[14] Over \$17k (almost 50%) was knocked off the top, primarily due to insurance fee schedules. This means their 30% commission was applied to \$19k, not \$36k. If you’re in-network with many plans, your effective pay might only be 30% of about half your work’s full value. (It’s crucial to know the practice’s collection rate and payer mix. A practice with many low-paying insurance plans or high write-offs will yield a much smaller base for your % – sometimes shockingly low[15].)

• Unpaid balances / patient defaults: Some contracts specify that uncollected amounts or patient bad debt are subtracted from your production. That means if a patient doesn’t pay their bill or gets a refund, it comes out of your earnings. Essentially, you assume credit risk for the patients you treat. Ideally, the practice should take responsibility for sending bills and collections – you did the work – but owners may insert language that if they don’t actually get the money, you don’t either. Red flag: terms like “adjusted for uncollected accounts”[16].

• Financing and credit card fees: Practices that use patient financing (e.g. CareCredit or in-house plans) often pay a fee (often 5–10%) to the financing company. Some contracts pass this cost to the associate by deducting those fees from your production. For instance, if you do a \$1,000 case and the patient uses CareCredit, the practice might only receive \$900 after fees – and they may only credit you production of \$900. One Reddit user rhetorically asked why an associate should expect to be paid on money the practice never got from CareCredit[17]. While from a business perspective that might make sense, it’s often not explicitly stated, leaving associates puzzled why their “collections” came up short. Watch for: terms like “credit card fees” or “finance charges may be deducted from collections before calculation.”

• Certain procedure codes excluded: Some contracts exclude radiographs, exams, or preventative treatments from the production total (especially if those services are seen as loss-leaders or included as “freebies” in promotions). For example, a pediatric associate reported: “I get paid for exams, fluoride, and operative work... I don’t get paid for X-rays or any prophies that the hygienists complete.”[18] In that office, radiographs and cleanings done by staff were not credited to the dentist’s production at all, even though those services generated revenue for the practice. Over time, those little exclusions add up to thousands in foregone pay.

• Delayed credit for multi-stage procedures: A common one is splitting the credit for prosthetic cases (crown, bridge, denture) between prep and seat/delivery. The contract might say you only get (for example) 50% of the procedure’s value at the prep visit and 50% at the completion visit. This means you wait to get paid in full until the work is completely delivered – and if the patient never returns for the seat or delays it, your income is delayed (or potentially forfeited). This is partly to prevent situations where one dentist preps and another one seats; splitting ensures both get some credit. But if you are doing both visits, it’s just a delay tactic. Red flag: Look for clauses about “production credit for prosthetic procedures shall be allocated 50/50 between preparation and insertion appointments” or similar.

• Other broad language: “Any other reasonable write-offs as determined by the practice” – this kind of catch-all phrase is especially concerning. It basically lets the owner decide what counts as your production after the fact. They could deem certain discounts, remakes, or promotional adjustments as “write-offs” that you don’t get paid on. For example, if the practice runs a “free whitening for new patients” deal, they might exclude that from your production. Or if a lab remake is needed (due to no fault of yours), the contract might exclude the cost or the production of the remake from your tally[16] (as noted in one ADA guide).

Bottom line for adjusted production: Carefully read how “production” or “collections” is defined in your contract. A narrow definition (e.g. “production shall mean gross production minus insurance contractual adjustments”) is more favorable to you than a sweeping one (e.g. “minus adjustments, write-offs, refunds, discounts, lab fees, financing fees, or other expenses”). The more they subtract, the less you get paid. It’s not uncommon that a contract saying “30% of production” really ends up being 30% of only 60–70% of your true output, after all the subtractions. One forum poster wryly welcomed a new dentist to “the world of adjusted gross production,” explaining how nearly \$17k of a \$36k production was lopped off for PPO adjustments and promos[19]. Know that world before you agree to its terms!

5. The “Approved Laboratory” Clause

Some contracts include a clause tying your production credit (or even your employment) to using the practice’s “Approved Laboratory” for any lab work. The contract might state that your compensation for cases involving lab work only applies if the lab is on the approved list (often the owner’s own lab of choice). This has a few implications:

• Loss of credit if you go off-list: If you decide to use a different lab for a specific case (perhaps you want a better price or a particular quality), the contract may say you won’t get credit for that procedure’s production, or that you have to cover 100% of that lab cost yourself[20]. Essentially, it boxes you into using the owner’s preferred labs no matter what. An article in Dental Economics put it plainly: “Specify the dental labs that can be used by the associate to control quality and cost. If you allow the associate to use a lab not on the approved list, the associate should be responsible for 100% of the fees.”[21] In practice, that means if you try to send a case to a cheaper lab to save your patient or yourself money, you’ll eat the entire lab bill, making it financially pointless to deviate.

• Inflated or marked-up lab fees: By restricting you to an “approved lab,” the practice can also mark up lab costs internally without your knowledge. Some corporate offices have arrangements with labs and may charge, say, \$300 for a crown lab fee that actually costs them \$150. If you’re paying 50% of that “lab fee” on your paycheck, you’re paying based on the marked-up \$300, not the true cost. You wouldn’t know, because you’re required to use that lab and the accounting is opaque. Even if no markup, the lab could be simply more expensive than average – increasing the lab expense share you pay. Since the practice typically covers the other portion of the lab fee, they have little incentive to choose a low-cost lab when half or all of that cost can be shifted to you.

• Quality and timing issues: The clause often is justified as ensuring quality control. But if the approved lab has quality issues or slow turnaround, you’re stuck with it. You might prefer a different lab for certain cases; however, doing so could forfeit your production credit. In essence, the practice leverages your compensation to enforce using their business partners.

Red flag to watch: Phrases like “including those fees related to lab services provided that such services are ordered through an Approved Laboratory” or a requirement to use “Labs designated by Employer.” Also, any mention that using a non-approved lab means you incur the full cost. If such a clause exists, ask who the approved labs are, what they charge, and whether those fees are passed to you at cost or marked up. Ideally, negotiate that lab fees will be treated consistently (e.g., if you’re paid 30%, you pay 30% of lab, as discussed earlier) regardless of lab used, or at least have some say in lab selection if it affects your cases and earnings.

In short, the “approved lab” requirement is another way to tilt the financial table. It can tether you to higher costs and give the practice more control over your revenue. Combined with the lab fee sharing, it’s a one-two punch: you must use their lab and you must pay a hefty portion of those lab bills. This is manageable if the lab costs are reasonable and your portion is proportional – but if not, it’s a quiet siphon on your income.

6. Health Insurance and Other “Included Benefits” Sleight of Hand

Many associate contracts tout various benefits: “50% of health insurance premiums covered,” “Malpractice insurance provided,” “CE stipend,” etc. While benefits are certainly valuable, you have to consider their real monetary value and whether they truly offset a lower salary or commission. In some cases, owners use benefits as a carrot, but the carrot isn’t as nutritious as it appears:

• Health insurance premium split: A common one is the practice offering to pay, say, 50% of your health insurance premium. The catch is, they choose the plan. If they offer a very bare-bones high-deductible plan, 50% of its premium might be only a small dollar amount (and the coverage might not meet your needs, leading you to buy your own insurance anyway). If they choose a very expensive plan, yes, they pay half – but you’re still paying perhaps \$500 a month out of pocket for a gold-level plan you might not have chosen. Either way, the “50% premium” sounds better than it often is. For perspective, paying half of a single-person health premium might equate to maybe \$2,000–\$3,000 a year benefit to you. If an employer uses that to justify paying you 28% of production instead of 30%, you could be losing far more in income than the insurance benefit covers.

• “Benefits included” vs. higher pay: Some associates, especially new grads, might be dazzled by an offer that includes health insurance, 401k match, continuing education, etc., and thus accept a lower percentage or salary. It’s important to add up the actual value of those benefits. A 3% 401k match on a \$120k salary is \$3,600. A CE allowance of \$1,500 and some license fee coverage might add another \$2k. Health insurance maybe \$3k as discussed. In total, perhaps \$6k–\$8k of value. Now compare that to your production: if you produce \$600,000/year, each 1% of production is \$6,000. If you take 28% with benefits instead of 32% without, that’s a 4% difference = \$24,000 less in base pay, in exchange for maybe \$8k of benefits – a bad trade. Owners know that many associates don’t run these numbers. Always do the math yourself. Often, you’d be better paid with a higher percentage and then buying your own insurance and benefits à la carte.

• Corporate benefit gimmicks: Beyond health insurance, some DSOs advertise things like “student loan assistance” or “sign-on bonus” which have strings attached. For example, one associate reported a DSO promising “loan forgiveness,” which turned out to simply be a referral to a refinancing lender – no actual money toward loans[22]. In other words, a marketing ploy. Another common perk is covering your malpractice insurance – which is nice (a couple thousand a year value), but again, consider it in the big picture of your total compensation. None of these perks are inherently bad, just be wary of overvaluing them. As one dentist on a forum advised: “Don’t fall for the corporate benefits they try to convince you with… You can get health insurance on your own. The goal should be to become an owner – you don’t want to be far into your career with someone taking 2/3 of your production…”[22][23]. The sentiment is that benefits can be replaced; lost production income can’t.

• Red flag to watch: If the contract says “% of collections with benefits” or a daily rate “including benefits,” clarify if the cost of those benefits is effectively coming out of your percentage. Some contracts might even have a clause that if you opt out of the health plan, you don’t get anything extra – which means the benefit was part of the compensation package you earned. Ensure that the percentage or salary is competitive before adding benefits. Benefits should be icing, not the cake.

In summary, evaluate benefits in dollar terms. A moderate health insurance contribution or small CE fund doesn’t typically make up for a lower pay rate or unfavorable fee sharing. It’s often better to negotiate for a solid compensation structure first, then see what benefits can be added, rather than accepting a subpar rate because “but they give me health insurance.” Owners know that especially younger associates might focus on those surface perks; don’t lose sight of the big financial picture of your employment.

Bottom Line: How Associates Get Nickel-and-Dimed

Each of these contract tactics by itself might shave a little off your paycheck; combined, they can bleed an associate dry of tens of thousands of dollars over a year. To recap, here are the key ways associates often get short-changed and what to watch out for:

1. Lab Fee Manipulation: If you only earn, say, 25–30% of your production, you should only pay that same proportion of lab bills – not 50% or 100%. When contracts charge an associate more of the lab fee than their share of revenue, the associate’s effective rate plummets[5]. Always align lab cost percentage with compensation percentage, or negotiate a higher pay rate to offset full lab costs.

2. Averaging of Production Over Pay Periods: Contracts that calculate your commission over two-week or monthly periods (instead of daily) mean your strong days’ earnings are used to cover your weak days. This dilutes your high performance and often results in only hitting minimum guarantees overall. Push for “pay-as-earned” – so a great day isn’t penalized by a slow day[8].

3. Recoverable Draws (“Fake” Guarantees): A draw advance that you must pay back later is not a true salary or guarantee – it’s a risk-shift. If you don’t meet production, you’ll carry a debt on the books (or owe money if you leave)[24]. Prefer non-recoverable guarantees, or at least be fully aware if the “minimum pay” is just a loan. The contract should spell out if draws are reconciled; if it’s vague, assume you’ll be on the hook.

4. Stacked Adjustments to Production: Watch for broad definitions of “Adjusted Production/Collections.” The more they subtract (insurance write-offs, refunds, patient no-pays, credit card fees, etc.), the less you earn[14][18]. It’s normal to exclude insurance discounts, but some contracts go far beyond. Make sure you know whether you get credit for things like exams, X-rays, or small procedures, and how bad debts or coupons affect your numbers.

5. “Approved Lab” Restrictions: If you’re required to use the practice’s chosen lab (often with higher fees) and especially if the contract says you only get paid on cases done through that lab, be cautious[20]. This can hide extra costs or markups that come out of your pocket. Ideally, any lab fee sharing should be straightforward and not dependent on using a specific (possibly overpriced) lab.

6. Superficial Benefits in Lieu of Pay: Don’t overvalue promised benefits like health insurance splits, CE money, or loan “help.” Often these are modest in value and do not compensate for a low percentage offer. A “35% with no benefits” deal can easily beat a “30% with benefits” deal once you do the math. Take benefits for what they are, but always calculate their dollar worth and compare against what you might be giving up in salary[22].

In conclusion, carefully scrutinize the contract language and run the numbers for different scenarios. Ask questions and request changes on any clause you don’t understand or that seems one-sided. Many associates, especially new grads, feel they lack leverage, but remember that unclear or unfair terms can cost you far more than you realize. As the saying goes in dentistry (and was proven in at least one legal case), “In dentistry, as in life, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.”[25][5] Knowledge is your best tool to ensure you’re not inadvertently signing up to be underpaid for the work you do. Always know where the money is going – or you might find it’s not going into your pocket.

Sources:

• Salierno, C. “Should associates have to pay their lab bills?” DentistryIQ, 2018 – Discussion of fair compensation if lab fees are passed on[5].

• Schiff, A. “Options for associate compensation.” Dental Economics, Jan 2023 – Typical associate pay formulas and lab fee splits[3][4].

• Prescott, W. “Appropriate compensation for associate dentists.” Dental Economics, Mar 2022 – Explanation of collections vs production pay, draws, and contract provisions[10][16].

• Reddit r/Dentistry – Associate experiences and advice: real anecdotes on lab fee percentages, production averaging, and benefits (various threads: 2020–2023)[1][8][18][22].

• Student Doctor Network forums – Discussions on associate contracts: e.g. examples of adjusted production calculations and complex pay formulas (thread “Salary and commission of associate dentists,” 2015)[14][19].

• Jorgensen, B., DMD. “What is a Draw in an Associate Dentist Contract?” PracticeMatchmaker Blog, 2023 – Overview of recoverable vs non-recoverable draws and their pitfalls[9][12].

[1] [2] [6] Lab Fees and Income Structure as Associate | Student Doctor Network

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/lab-fees-and-income-structure-as-associate.1428919/

[3] [4] Options for associate compensation | Dental Economics

https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/article/14074431/options-for-associate-compensation

[5] [25] Should associates have to pay their lab bills? | Dentistry IQ

https://www.dentistryiq.com/practice-management/financial/article/16367629/should-associates-have-to-pay-their-lab-bills

[7] Is production calculated daily or monthly? : r/Dentistry - Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/1e4za7w/is_production_calculated_daily_or_monthly/

[8] [14] [15] [19] Salary and commission of associate dentists. | Student Doctor Network

https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/salary-and-commission-of-associate-dentists.1154272/

[9] [11] [12] [13] [24] What Is a “Draw” in an Associate Dentist Contract? | Dental Practice Matchmaker

https://practicematchmaker.com/what-is-a-draw-in-an-associate-dentist-contract/

[10] [16] [20] [21] Appropriate compensation for associate dentists | Dental Economics

https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/overhead-and-profitability/article/14233195/appropriate-compensation-for-associate-dentists

[17] Advice on contract : r/Dentistry - Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/1cpgq3y/advice_on_contract/

[18] For the dental students/residents wondering about associate pay, here’s my most recent paystub as a pediatric dentist : r/Dentistry

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/1f7julb/for_the_dental_studentsresidents_wondering_about/

[22] [23] Associates: Do you get health ins, PTO, and other benefits from your employer? If so, where do you work (DSO, Private office, Public health, etc.) ? : r/Dentistry

https://www.reddit.com/r/Dentistry/comments/18a7c1c/associates_do_you_get_health_ins_pto_and_other/

Disclaimer

The information in this post pulls from public online discussions and my own experience. It is provided for general educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal, financial, or career advice. I am not offering consulting or management services. Every employment situation is unique, if you’re negotiating a contract, consult with your own attorney or advisor.

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