Your Associates Are Leaving for $5K More per Year. Your Turnover is Suicidal.

Your Associates Are Leaving for $5K More per Year. Your Turnover is Suicidal.

Dental associate salaries spiked 8-12% this summer as practices competed for talent. The associates who left your practice didn't leave because of the money—they left because your culture made them replaceable and your DSO made them resentful.

Turnover costs you 40-60% of that associate's annual salary to recruit, train, and get new hires productive. If your associate costs you $140K all-in and you're cycling through associates every 2-3 years, you're hemorrhaging $56K-84K per year in turnover drag.

Build associate equity. Offer productivity bonuses tied to production and case acceptance. Let them own part of growth. If an associate stays 5 years, they've already paid for your recruitment cost tenfold in stable production. Invest in stickiness.