How to Open a Dental Office...or Orthodontic Office

[@JAP2069]

Really helpful video, I just started college and I want to be a Ortho and strive to achieve for greatness, I want to be able to open dental offices and help people have an amazing confident smile.

[@ThriveDentist]

Love it!

[@Player-pk9pp]

@@ThriveDentist do you have to open a office

[@Pootatoe_Editz]

You don't have to you can work for someone

[@cybernetica28]

I remember praying to God for a good and close dental office a few years ago. That’s when your location in Sachse was getting built, if I don’t mistaken it was during the pandemic. But until 2023 is when I realized it was done and I went and make an appointment. I love it, your office and your staff is really nice. I praise God and then I told my family. Now we take my son, my mother-in-law, and even my daughter in law and my son are going now. Everyone in my family like your office. I still need to take 3 more members of my family. I’m spreading the word about your office, don’t change keep the good work! Thank you!

[@ThriveDentist]

Thank you for the amazing comments Claudia! We are blessed to have amazing patients like you and your family:)

[@ariannavaladez3375]

I am SO grateful to have found your channel! I am a freshman in college and I want to be an orthodontist! I started that dream and I started setting those goals when I first got braces and I loved it, I loved the confidence, i was so happy to go every few weeks, and I loved the environment! I am going to start shadowing to get a 2nd feel on it also, and I do want to own my own practice! Thank you!! Will definitely be following your foot steps!

[@ThriveDentist]

That's great!

[@proimpressionsmarketing]

Hello, Dr. Nate! Your insights into opening a dental practice are invaluable!

[@Dabtrain]

I would like the more specifics! Thanks.

[@ThriveDentist]

Hey Luis what specifically are you looking for? So many different things to possible cover.

[@Dabtrain]

Nathan Coughlin Lets say you signed the lease and have your building in place, how do you go about getting all the equipment and everything you’ll need? Also finance! Thanks. I am an incoming freshman at Sam Houston State University, majoring in Biomedical, then planning on going to dental school. I want to open my own clinic and would like all the help i could get! If you don’t mind, what did u study in college? Thanks!

[@julianserrano3670]

Keep these videos up please!! I literally wish to follow in your footsteps!! I only have one question: How long did it take you to create your brand? As in, did you work for another corporation for a few years, or jumped right in? What is your opinion on experience in the office and the variables related to this? Thank you!!

[@ThriveDentist]

Hu Julian thank you for the encouraging words. We have multiple offices but Thrive is our latest one. We have will have 3 Thrive offices and from here on out, they will all be called Thrive. They are newer offices, roughly 1.5 years old. We have other offices that are older, roughly 5 years. I think it's vital to work at corporate before opening your own office because you learn so much about business at those offices. You get little to zero business training in dental school which is terrible IMO.

[@styxxny2163]

I have been in the dental field building dental offices and selling dental equipment and repairing dental equipment for 36 years. We have built hundreds of offices. I am the president of a Dental Equipment/Repair company. Now a dentist friend and myself are in the process of opening up my first dental office. Our goal is to have atleast 5 offices opened in the next five years. Thank you so much for your video. Any other information would be a great help. Good luck with your bussness.

[@utsavthakur8956]

hey man! I have a business proposal for you! kindly contact me for more details.

[@marisolrojas1122]

My daughter is a patient of yours in Richardson location we happy with you🥰

[@ThriveDentist]

Thank you Marisol and thank you for the kind words!

[@adenikeakapo829]

Would love to hear more on all of these topics! Thank you!

[@iam73en]

Thank you, more videos for sure

[@ThriveDentist]

More to come!

[@n.w2113]

What a great video! I'd love to see vids about marketing, finances ect... keep doing what you love!

[@ThriveDentist]

Thank you! Will do!

[@DanWagnerGuitar]

Hey Dr. Nate, love the vids! I’m curious, how do you get equipment, specifically floss and tootbrushes? How much should you pay for these type of items ideally?

[@cowwman99]

Hi Dr. Coughlin. I'm currently interviewing at dental schools and hope to enroll next year. I also work at a private practice as an office manager and dental assistant, so I have some knowledge regarding the ins and outs of how a practice is run. Can you make a video about the typical list of people that a soon-to-be private practice owner should have on call? For example you mentioned a broker and lawyer. A more comprehensive list of professionals would be very helpful. Finally, what are some must-read books that helped you in your career? Thank you for making these videos, they're very insightful!

[@ThriveDentist]

These are all great questions. I'm a big time reader so there are so many books I've enjoyed that have helped me and it's hard to narrow them down to a few. Tony Robbins has great financial books (especially recently), raving fans, the compound effect, and so many biographies from Arnold Shwarzenegger, Steve Jobs, Ben Franklin etc. I love books so I can't narrow it down too much better then that. You learn little bits and pieces from everyone. Love the practice idea too. I'll get on it.

[@sarabraeuer7758]

Hi cowwman99, I hear you. It is not easy to start up a dental practice, or any other small businesses. I just want to let you know that my company specializes in helping healthcare practices grow through funding/financing. Please reach out if I can help you grow your practice quicker and more efficiently when it comes time to open.

[@evaneaton8506]

You mentioned you had read books about opening practices before you had opened yours. Do you have any recommendations on what books or articles to read to educate myself on opening my own practices?

[@CAB12152]

I am currently in the process of interviewing for dental schools, hopefully I will be accepted in a month from now, but I think the idea of opening my own office is both my biggest excitement and stressor. I would love to hear more details about the whole process really. I worry about getting patients after opening an office, especially if I have student loan payments on top of everything else, I feel that I cannot afford to only see one or two patients a day. How do you recommend gaining patients in a new office. Along with that, would you recommend staring a new practice, or buying an old one. like I mentioned I stress about gaining new patients, so I lean towards buying an old one, but I would be interested to hear your thoughts. Thank you!

[@ThriveDentist]

I have only started offices from scratch but I know a few people who have bough existing practices. There are so many ways to be successful so I think both can work. It depends on your financial situation, where you live, how you want to practice etc. Tons of variables!

[@rayanmohammmed5029]

Marketing = bringing clients

[@antoniopedrosilva4138]

Very good

[@osamakhalid91]

could you please make a video on opening a dental surgery in the United States as a foreign dentist, whose main goal is to hire dentists to work in his surgery. (Dental Entrepreneur)

[@khaliyahdavis4777]

Hello Dr Nate! I just wanted to know, how are you able to own 6 different offices? How did you keep that going?

[@sarabraeuer7758]

Great video, thank you for sharing.

[@CWBaron]

Big fan.

[@ThriveDentist]

Thank you!

[@diogoroldao]

Hello Dr. Nate. Thx for this video. Do you have any video about the average initial office patience grown, and akso about the software thst runs the clinic and also about the integration with the insurance companies?

[@rahuljadhav143]

How about buying an existing practice, can you make a video of that as well?

[@jefflee834]

Please make a video about marketing thanks

[@marisolrojas1122]

Well it helps when you good looking 😘 and work really hard!!

[@ThriveDentist]

Lol. Thank you

[@yesiamcheap7796]

Hello, how to calculate the ratio? Let's say there is a town in Texas 2 dentist offices with ratio 3000 patient per a dentist. But once you open your practice with for example 2 offices the ratio goes down to 1500, is that correct? Number of patients is limited. Thank you.

[@ThriveDentist]

Yes that's correct. That's why smaller density places can be riskier.

[@jamesdrolet3076]

im thinking of becoming an orthodontist is it smart to become an associate until you have enough income and experience to open a orthodontic office

[@ThriveDentist]

Yup. I think having some income and a base before starting your own thing is a smart idea!

[@BMWTHRASHER]

Do you have to be a dentist to open one?

[@LordLoMR2]

If I plan to work only for state insurance dental pts, does location/population still matter? Currently I’m working for a dentist in a obscure home looking office and all we see are state pts. Schedule is filled out 2-3 months. Regularly bring in $3-$5k per day; on state pts which is on par with some of the corporate dental clinics I’ve worked with in the past. Got me thinking, couldn’t I just buy any building and do the same thing? Most of the pts don’t seem to care what the building looks like and some travel from 1 hr away.

[@bloom4072]

Hi doc, i'm glad to found your channel, super helpfull, wish you could make another part how to start dental office for every perspective like you said on this video. Maybe you could categorize it as part one and respectively. I'm currently still learning while open up my dental office. And yapp that's true it's stressfull but try to not be, cuz i know what's my plan is, just confused on where do i search for equipment, which one is better and many others. I'm a perfectionist maybe that's one reason why this is stressfull. I'm exciting to watch other video doc, thank you 🙏😊

[@ThriveDentist]

Good luck doc! It's a long journey but well worth it. Understand that you will make a ton of mistakes but it's all a part of the journey.

[@brandonpatinolugo899]

Do you think opening a office in a small town would work?

[@ThriveDentist]

Definitely. Typically less competition so it's even better.

[@ariannavaladez3375]

Also, any recommendations on books to read to get me a little more educated on orthodontist field?

[@ThriveDentist]

Hmm. I don't have any specific orthodontic books other than textbooks

[@judahcook5001]

hello!! did you have to major in business to achieve these dental offices?

[@marisolrojas1122]

Thank you for sharing you are Amazing

[@ThriveDentist]

Thanks for watching!

[@rihaveinaiba8269]

is it a good idea to run office after someone who retired? with most equipment and pacients or is it better to start from 0 and make it all by your own?

[@ThriveDentist]

Both have their advantages and disadvantages. We prefer to make our own but I know many successful dentists who purchased existing practices.

[@ariannavaladez3375]

Quick question!!! Where do you find your orthodontist assistants? And how do you build clients?

[@ThriveDentist]

Now we mainly find assistants through previous assistants as we have a large staff now but originally we found them via indeed or other online tools. We find patients via PPC, SEO, FB ads, Insta Ads, word of mouth etc.

[@tarzanjammy]

Can you please share your dental broker if you don't mind

[@hamzaharoon7774]

Hey if im renting a place how much will it be, can I do it with under 100 grand.

[@imaadghouri4826]

Great video. Can you please share some contact information for dental brokers and lawyers. I have just started to open a dental practice. I am open for both start from scratch and exiting practices. Can you please shed some lights on purchasing existing practices ? How to find them ? Do you think dental broker can help ? Also are there specific "dental brokers" for dental practices ? or any commercial real estate brokers will work ?

[@amandachurchhansen7892]

If I am a third year dental student, how do you start your build out before you graduate? I am an older student (career changer) who owned an equine dental practice for 18 years so I have some business experience, have no student debt and own property with equity. Do I need to be a licensed dentist before I can start construction?

[@ThriveDentist]

Hey Amanda. Sounds like you had an amazing previous career! Depending on the state you need to be a licensed dentist in order to own an office and therefore you may not be able to start the buildout before that point but I'm not 100% sure. I would contact your bank or whoever will finance the project and ask for their opinion. I know of people opening offices while in residency but not in dental school.

[@amandachurchhansen7892]

@@ThriveDentist yes, it’s the order and when I can do things. Both places I was looking to open a practice you need to be a dentist owner. I just don’t want things to drag out too long. And I still have my other practice where I can work part time (I still work on weekends, breaks etc). Thank you.

[@sonnyrose9898]

Hi, I love your videos! I wanted to ask if you opened an office right after you finished residency or did you work in another office as an orthodontist for a couple of years and then decided to open an office?

[@ThriveDentist]

Great question. I worked for roughly 2 years before opening my own office. I also continued to work at another office for another 2 more years until I finally was able to fully work at my own offices.

[@marisolrojas1122]

You super smart 😘

[@captured5396]

So you have six practices… my question is, are you a dentist at only one of the locations? Do you pay other dentists out of your pocket to run the other practices ? It’s a little confusing to me but it obviously seems to work for you

[@ThriveDentist]

Yes we have multiple associates and partners.

[@Player-pk9pp]

Do you have to open a office as a ortho

[@ThriveDentist]

Nope. You can work as an associate.

[@Player-pk9pp]

@@ThriveDentist how long does it to take to get it started and get clients ect. and can I just like work as associate and then buy a clinic