When an owner dentist earns $5,000 more per month ($60,000/year) than an associate but works 260 additional hours per year to earn it, the financial math is only part of the story. Through the lens of provider burnout , it becomes much more significant. The Burnout Equation 260 extra hours per year = 5 extra hours per week The equivalent of adding ~6.5 additional 40-hour work weeks annually That’s not just “a little more work.” That’s essentially another month and a half of full-time labor — layered on top of clinical dentistry , leadership responsibilities, financial risk, and operational oversight. When that incremental effort only yields $60,000 more per year, the industry has to ask: Is ownership still delivering a proportional return — financially and personally? 1. Ownership Stress Is Different From Associate Stress An associate’s stress is primarily clinical: Production pressure Patient outcomes Schedule flow An owner’s stress is layered: ...
When owner dentists make $60,000 more per year than associates but have to work on average an extra 260 hours per year to earn it, it says a lot about margins, risk, and the changing value proposition of ownership in dentistry. Let’s break it down. The Math $5,000 more per month for owners = $60,000 more per year 260 additional hours worked per year = about 5 extra hours per week $60,000 ÷ 260 hours = ~$230 per extra hour What This Means for the Dental Industry 1. The Ownership Premium Is Shrinking Historically, ownership meant: Significant income upside Equity growth Wealth creation If the income gap narrows to $60,000 annually — and requires significantly more time and stress — the financial incentive to own becomes less compelling, especially for younger dentists graduating with heavy debt. This partly explains why: More dentists are choosing associate roles Large DSOs are able to recruit talent more easily Fewer dentists are pu...