how would you answer this interview question?

It depends where you want to start your practice. If you open up in a major city, you are probably doomed. If you open up in the suburbs it will take some time. It's not like people come rolling in. You have to advertise and make your patients love you since most new patients come from referals.

You can look into buying a practice as well, but that may not always be the best route. Getting into a decent associateship and perhaps buying into the practice is a good option. It seems the trend is headed towards multigroup practices.

As for perio...it all depends...if you open up where there isn't a periodontist you may build up quickly. You need to kiss some serious butt...i.e. general practitioners. Where I am there are only 2 periodontists but they are starving.

The point is it all depends on your personality. Unlike medicine where someone comes in and you tell them that they need a blood test and xrays and surgery and usually the patient will want to save their lives, dentistry is a bit different. Dentists don't like to say it, but you have to be a good salesman. People just don't hold their teeth in as high regards as the rest of their bodies. You are competing for the patients discretionary money. If you are good at talking and convincing patients about their treatment needs then you will probably build up quickly and do well. I worked for a dentist who was an arrogant $&$#&$#^$#. He thought he was the best dentist in the universe. He was also a great seller. He could convince even me to get whatever treatment he wanted me to. He was an average dentist. Nobody cared and nobody knew about his mediocrity and crappy crown preps but his practice grew because of his ability to sell.

Hope that helps.

 

**delete** accidentally posted in the wrong thread