Dr. Rebecca Cohen, DDS

I never planned to write about my experience, but Bill asked me to share my story, so here we are. Eight months ago I was an associate wondering if I'd ever own my own practice. Now I'm writing this from my own office during lunch, and I figured other associates might find it helpful.

Initially, I had the idea of opening my own practice from scratch, design everything exactly how I wanted it, build my patient base organically. Then I actually researched what that involved. We're talking 18+ months before profitability, assuming everything goes perfectly. I spoke with Dr. Kim, who opened her practice three years ago, and she said, "If you want to be a dentist, buy a practice. If you want to be a construction manager and marketing director who occasionally practices dentistry, start from scratch." The numbers were also concerning. Starting fresh meant massive upfront costs with zero revenue. My student loans were already overwhelming enough.

Then I got an email from US Dental showing a 3 operatory practice available in Westchester. Established patient base, retiring seller, reasonable numbers. I called and got to meet Bill Lossef over the phone. He asked good questions about what I was looking for and suggested we schedule a viewing to see if it was a good fit. When I walked into the practice, it felt very nice. The previous owner had been there 22 years and took great care of the place. The staff was friendly, patients looked happy, operatories were well-maintained.

I had no experience with practice valuation, lease negotiations, or equipment appraisals. Bill provided a checklist of everything to review and helped me to go through three years of financial records. We found a few issues like an aging compressor, outdated software, etc. Instead of pushing me to accept everything as-is, Bill helped me understand the financial implications and negotiate a lower price that accounted for necessary upgrades. Bill attended every appointment and was available whenever I had questions. When the bank requested additional documentation two days before closing, he and Bill worked through the weekend to handle it. They also have an excellent attorney on their team who specializes in dental practices.

The transition went better than expected. The previous owner worked with me for two weeks to help with patients, most staff stayed on, and we've grown the practice a fair amount since I took over. Yes, there's more administrative work than I anticipated, but there's also the incredible feeling of building something that's mine. Having an established patient base meant profitability from day one instead of months of building up from nothing.

Buying a practice is intimidating, probably the biggest financial decision you'll make. But staying an associate forever has its own risks. My advice: educate yourself but don't get analysis paralysis. Work with people who understand dental practices well. Bill and his team knew which red flags mattered and which concerns were normal. Don't be embarrassed to ask basic questions, and trust your instincts. The numbers need to work, but you also need to feel good about where you'll spend most of your time. I won't say it's been easy, but eight months later, I can't imagine having done it differently. I wish the best of luck to anyone else in a similar position!