Many dental practice owners wait until they’re completely overwhelmed before hiring an associate. Their schedule is packed, their team is stretched thin, and patients are starting to feel the strain. At that point, hiring feels urgent: almost reactive.
But what if the better strategy is to hire before you desperately need to?
Some practice owners worry that hiring early means “wasting money” or bringing someone on before the schedule is full enough. But many successful dentists see it differently: they’d rather invest early, allow the practice to grow intentionally, and create a better patient experience, even if it means a short-term dip in efficiency.
Instead of waiting until the practice is red-lined, these owners set clear internal benchmarks:
They bring associates on before the breaking point, not after it.
This is one of the most common concerns we hear:
“Aren’t you worried the associate won’t be busy enough?”
It’s a fair question, but it also shifts responsibility in the wrong direction. Practice owners who hire early see it as their responsibility to:
If there’s a brief ramp-up period, it’s addressed honestly and upfront:
“You’re an additional associate. It may take some time to fully build your schedule, but you’ll have support, marketing, systems, and a team that sets you up to succeed.”
In reality, most associates understand this, and in many cases, the lag time is shorter than expected.
One of the most uncomfortable experiences for a new associate (or team member) is walking into a practice that’s chaotic, rushed, and too busy to train them. Too often, practice owners run at full speed until they’re exhausted, then hire an associate and expect them to magically keep up. The result?
Hiring earlier creates space:
A calm, structured onboarding process is far more effective than throwing a new associate into a frenzy and hoping for the best.
Waiting too long to hire doesn’t just hurt the owner, it hurts:
Bringing people on before chaos sets in allows practices to grow sustainably, build trust with new hires, and create a work environment where people can actually learn and thrive.
Hiring an associate isn’t just about filling chairs: it’s about leadership, planning, and long-term vision. Practices that grow successfully don’t wait until it’s “too late.” They hire intentionally, onboard thoughtfully, and build systems that support both their team and their patients.
When you invest in people before the chaos hits, everyone, the team, the associate, and the patients, wins.
If you’re thinking about hiring an associate dentist—or wondering if your current associate is truly the RIGHT fit—we’re here to help. Connect with the Dentist Job Connect team here!