Associate Contracts Shouldn’t Feel Like a Gamble
Most associate dentists sign contracts they don’t fully understand — not because they’re careless, but because the language is vague, incomplete, or intentionally confusing.
Associate Contract Review: The Question Guide (2026 Edition) gives you the exact questions you must ask before you sign, so you can protect:
- Your income
- Your mobility
- Your long-term career options
THE PROBLEM (RELATABLE PAIN)
A “Good Offer” Can Cost You Six Figures
Most associate contracts sound fair — until you do the math.
We routinely see dentists lose $20,000–$80,000 per year because of:
- “30% of collections” that excludes key procedures
- Lab fees quietly deducted after the fact
- Write-offs and adjustments that destroy effective pay
- Non-competes that limit where you can live or work
- “At-will” jobs that aren’t actually at-will
- Ownership promises with no enforceable path
If your contract doesn’t answer the right questions in writing, it isn’t protecting you — it’s protecting the practice.
THE SOLUTION
Review Your Contract Like an Owner Would
This isn’t legal theory.
This is a dentist-friendly, quick-reference question guide built from reviewing hundreds of real associate agreements.
You don’t need to “trust your gut.”
You need clear answers, on paper.
WHAT YOU’LL AVOID
This Guide Helps You Avoid:
- ❌ “30% of collections” that’s secretly worth $20k–$80k less per year
- ❌ Non-competes that quietly restrict your future
- ❌ Lab fees (including aligners & remakes) deducted without warning
- ❌ Write-offs and adjustments that slash your take-home pay
- ❌ “At-will” clauses that aren’t truly at-will
- ❌ Vague ownership talk with zero enforceability
WHAT YOU GET
What’s Inside the Guide
A clear, practical checklist you can use alongside any associate contract:
A clear, practical checklist you can use alongside any associate contract:
Compensation & Money Flow
- How collections are defined (and what’s excluded)
- When you’re paid — and what delays cost you
- How adjustments, refunds, and write-offs are handled
Lab Fees & Expenses
- Who pays for labs, aligners, remakes, and failures
- How lab costs impact your effective percentage
Termination & Control
- True at-will vs. one-sided termination
- Schedule control and duty creep
- What happens if production drops
Reporting & Transparency
- What reports you’re entitled to
- How to verify every paycheck
- Red flags in “summary-only” reporting
Non-Competes & Non-Solicitation
- Geographic and time traps to watch for
- What actually limits your mobility
- How these clauses affect future ownership
Ownership Pathways
- What a real ownership track looks like
- Language that actually creates leverage
- Promises vs. enforceable rights
Why This Guide Exists
We’ve reviewed hundreds of associate agreements.
The same mistakes show up again and again — and most dentists only discover them after they’ve lost money, time, or flexibility.
This guide exists so you don’t have to.
Read your contract once without a pen.
Then use this guide — and never sign blind again.
Before You Sign — Ask the Right Questions
A contract you don’t understand is a risk you don’t need to take.