Is the dentist an entrepreneur? Yes and no.

Although dentists may have an entrepreneurial spirit, they are not true entrepreneurs. Simply by selecting dentistry as a profession, dentists have engaged in a business that has a high level of success and limited growth potential. By limited growth potential, I do not mean to imply that practices cannot be successful and create excellent lifestyles for dentists. As stated above, they will be limited in growth by the physical capacity of the dentist, the team and the facilities. There is a great deal of security in dental practice if basic management principles are followed and business systems are put in place. In my next column, I will continue to explore the similarities and differences between entrepreneurs and dentists, and how a dentist can take a practice through the multiple stages necessary to achieve the highest levels of dental practice success.