Book excerpt: WHY BUY THIS BOOK? Because It Answers the Hard Questions Economically, dental partnerships make great sense in terms of optimizing assets, sharing costs, increasing revenues and fine-tuning division of labor. Yet in the United States, over 80% of dentists practice solo, and this figure has held steady for decades. What causes this overwhelming and enduring pattern of dentists continuing to practice solo? Top practice management advisers now declare, "One sure way to realize a return on investment in your practice is to transition the practice from a solo to a partnered enterprise." They recommend the best route to be through the process of associateship to partnership, selling 50% to the partner, then continuing to work in the practice and selling the remaining 50% downstream. This works only if and when the partnership works. What do you do with an expanded practice if the partnership doesn't work? The majority of dental associateships and partnerships underperform or fail altogether. Although no clear studies are available, a number of dental journals report the failure rate in dental partnerships to be somewhere between 70% and 90%. Why do dental partnerships have such an extremely high morbidity rate? Nearly all associateships and partnerships begin with tremendous goodwill, excitement and enthusiasm. The future appears extremely bright. However, it is not uncommon that within five years, the shine disappears and is replaced with dissatisfaction. What causes partnerships to unravel? When an associateship-to-partnership fails, the costs are extremely high in terms of money, time and emotional distress. The effect on staff performance and patient relations can be demoralizing as well. Partnership failure in dental practices costs hundreds of millions of dollars every year and untold emotional damage. What can be done to prevent this? Surveys reveal the majority of dentists have difficulty in communications, particularly with their associates or partners. Consequently, they are ineffective at handling problems directly, resolving conflicts and making mutual business decisions. What are the factors that thwart a dentist's ability to effectively communicate to an associate or partner? It seems dentists are in a quandary. A clear path to economic freedom and asset optimization exists through recruiting an associate and transitioning the associate to a partner. The problem is most dental partnerships don't work. This book provides answers to the most common and destructive issues and problems that cause dental partnerships to fail. If you are considering a partnership as a strategy, or if you currently have an associate or partner, this book will enhance your ability to succeed.