A shared dental office is a space for dentists to work together. This model provides benefits to both the dentists and patients, such as increased time availability of care and lower overhead costs. Today, this strategy is used by more and more dental practices including some of the emergency dental partners you can find in the 247 Dental directory.
However, there are also some possible drawbacks that you should consider before deciding if a shared dental office is right for you. Read on to learn more about its pros and cons.
Pros Of A Shared Dental Office
There are many benefits of shared dental offices. They can be advantageous for dentists that are often facing long wait times at their own practice or those who don’t want to spend the capital required to open office space. Shared offices can also be an outlet for small dentists who have limited resources and capabilities.
The shared dental offices in the USA are usually at a shared building and with other providers such as pharmacies, optometrists, general practitioners, etc. This setup allows the doctors to see more patients, which in turn provides more income and flexibility.
These offices can also help build your patient base because you’re able to offer more services in one place and may even be able to refer patients to other dentists in the shared office space.
Cons Of Shared Dental Office
The shared dental office has a few cons as well. Shared offices are not all good and sometimes they can turn out to be more of a disadvantage than convenience and end up costing more in the long run. Shared offices also lack privacy and professionalism due to the open spaces, which may deter some people from going there for their dental care needs.
The shared office’s location could also be a problem because it is usually located somewhere inconvenient or far away from where the patient lives. This could result in the patient being late for work.
How To Make A Decision About Shared Dental Offices For Your Practice
Ultimately, shared dental offices are not right for every dentist. If you’re a dentist starting out and have a small budget for your location, shared dental offices might be a good option for you. If you’re an established, more expensive practice, shared dental offices probably won’t work.
To make an informed decision, ask yourself these questions:
- What does this mean for my dental practice?
- Are there shared office buildings around my target location?
- Can patients find me as readily in shared offices?
- Will shared office fees cover my needs?
- Will it help me save money on overhead and equipment?
This will not be right for everyone so you’ll need to think about it and make a decision based on your own needs and situations.
Final Thoughts
Shared dental offices are a great option for small businesses with limited resources and staff. However, it is important to understand that there are limitations when you share space in the same building as another practice. If your shared office has an emphasis on pediatric dentistry or general dentistry, then shared offices may be right for you! On the other hand, if you’re looking to offer specialty services like orthodontics or implantology, this type of setup might not work well for your business needs.
Either way, understanding these pros and cons can help make your decision easier so take some time today to think about how having a shared dental office will impact your ability to provide quality care before deciding whether or not it’s worth pursuing.