You’ve spent years training to become a dentist, and now you have your D.D.S. and enough experience to open your own practice. As you start looking for office space and recruiting employees, make sure to think about these concerns.

Equipment

You’ve always used equipment provided by your school or employer, but now you need your own. Make a list of all the tools you need, such as an X-ray machine, a Lares dental handpiece, and a dental syringe. Consult with some of your colleagues to see if you’ve forgotten anything, and then start looking for suppliers. Start this process early so that you have time to compare prices and find the best deal.

Patients

Premises, equipment, and employees’ salaries are expensive, so you need to accept as many customers as you can handle. Where do you find patients, though? Most people in your area probably already have a dedicated dentist, if they go regularly at all. As soon as you have your licenses and premises, start putting out advertisements on social media and search engines. In your advertisements, figure out ways to attract patients who are dissatisfied with their current dentists. For example, offer minimally painful appointments, or accept as many insurance plans as possible.

Age Range

When you start your search for patients, make sure you’re looking for the right age range. Unless you focused on pediatric dentistry, passed your exams, and received your certificate, you can only serve adults. On the other hand, if you are a pediatric specialist, make that the focal point of your advertisements.

Scheduling

Once you’ve covered enough details to pick an opening day, it’s time to figure out how to make your schedule. If you have enough money, hire a receptionist who answers calls and manually enters new appointments into your online calendar. However, most of your patients expect to make their appointments online, and you probably don’t have enough funds for a full-time receptionist. Explore different online scheduling systems such as Appointlet, Calendly, Square, and Capterra. Some of these platforms provide free services, allowing your customers to select the best time without charging you extra.

Opening your own dental practice is not too different from opening any other small business. You have lots of concerns about your budget, and you need to figure out how to get patients into your office. Don’t let these business details scare you away, though; once you’re set up, it’s all about being a dentist.