Run a Multi-Office Dental Practice

About this experience

Shadow a practicing dentist through a morning of appointments, from cleanings and exams to a crown prep. You observe from a set position in the operatory, only with each patient’s consent, while Dr. Kim explains what she is looking at and why.

The afternoon covers the business of dentistry: scheduling templates, insurance billing, hiring hygienists, buying equipment and what she looks for when acquiring another office. It is a practical day for pre-dental students, dental students and anyone curious about healthcare ownership.

Your day

1. 7:30 AM

   Morning huddle

   Join the team huddle as they review the schedule and plan the day.

   30 min

2. 8:00 AM

   Chairside observation

   Observe consenting patients’ exams and procedures with explanation between appointments.

   3 hr 30 min

3. 11:30 AM

   Lab and sterilization

   See how instruments are sterilized and how crowns are designed and milled.

   1 hr

4. 12:30 PM

   Lunch

   Lunch with Dr. Kim and her office manager.

   1 hr

5. 1:30 PM

   Practice operations

   Scheduling, billing, staffing, marketing and the numbers behind a second and third office.

What’s included

• Lunch
• Scrubs, mask and protective eyewear
• Practice startup cost worksheet

Good to know

• Observation only. Guests do not touch patients or perform any procedure.
• Patients are asked for consent before you enter; if a patient declines, you step out. You will sign a HIPAA-aware confidentiality agreement, and no photos are allowed in clinical areas.
• Guests must be 16+ (under 18 with a guardian) and should be free of cold or flu symptoms.

Your curator

Dr. Lauren Kim, DDS13 years in practice, owner of 3 offices

Dr. Lauren Kim bought a single-chair practice two years out of dental school and has grown it into three offices with 11 dentists and hygienists. She still sees patients three days a week. She mentors dental students on the business skills school leaves out.