P. Croatto

Dental school graduation season is upon us. Though the years of hard study have just ended for recent grads, many new, business-related challenges lie ahead, many of which predecessors didn't have to contend with. Dentist's Money Digest® reached out to several dental professionals to get their take on what new dentists need to keep in mind as they begin the next leg of their clinical journey.

What's in your dental practice's supply closet? Where did those supplies come from? If you're like most dentists, you don't handle the supply-ordering process in your practice. You just sign the checks. Some well-intentioned staff member may be searching high and low to find you the best deal on your supplies. But are they ordering from reputable distributors? If not, those products might be coming from the black or gray market. Discounted dental goods come with a hidden cost: putting your patients and practice at risk. Here's how to protect yourself.

Dental service organizations sometimes referred to as dental support organizations are becoming increasingly common in dentistry today. The American Dental Association estimates that 7.8 percent of dentists now belong to one, contracting with a DSO to handle the business side of operating a practice so that they can focus on the clinical side. DSOs advocates say they allow dentists to focus more on caring for patients. Critics, however, are concerned about corporate interests.