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Wired for Success by Alan A. Curtis, DDS, MS, Online Editorial Director, Orthotown.com

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Does Your Practice Have a
Treatment Business Plan?

by Alan A. Curtis, DDS, MS, Online Editorial Director, Orthotown.com

When was the last time you looked at your business plan? Do you have one?

As an orthodontic resident in 2005, I remember visiting part-time faculty members’ offices and thinking, “Wow, I can’t wait until I have my own office. When I grow up I’d like to…” After thinking about it for a while and discussing with various part-time faculty members, one faculty member challenged me to put ink to paper and write down my dream. I took out a yellow legal pad and started writing. I described the design elements of my dream: What is the size of the office? What colors are on the walls? What technology would I like to implement? What types of patients would I like to attract? During a yearly spring-cleaning of my private office (admit it, you have a pile in your desk drawer, too), I came across this plan and was pleasantly shocked at how closely my dreams had become a reality. Faith, blood, sweat, work and a plan are the key ingredients for success. As orthodontists we are called upon to diagnose, set treatment objectives and develop treatment plans for patients under our care. When was the last time you went through your written treatment (business) plan for your office and your life? I took out another piece of paper and started writing a business plan for 2012. Whether your practice is thriving or you are on the brink of a failing practice, this exercise is a great way to take you where you want to go.

Begin with the end in mind: What type of lifestyle do you want to have? How many days a year do you want to practice? How much money is enough to feel secure? What are your goals? Be specific! Use numbers and metrics to set the bar high enough to stretch you and your staff!

Example of Hypothetical Goals:
(To calculate your statistics, visit the spreadsheet at www.orthotown.com/proforma)
Current Take Home Income = $500,000
Overhead Goal: 60 Percent
Revenue Required to Achieve Financial Security: $1.25 Million
Average Case Fee: $4,500
Average Case Duration: 22 Months
Number of Active Paying Cases: 509

Ask yourself the following questions:

What types of cases do you enjoy treating? What types of treatment modalities do you enjoy using? What type of patient and consumer of your health care do you wish to attract? Do you want to see every patient who walks through the door? What type of patient don’t you want to treat? What is your niche and brand? What sets you apart? What type of practice do you want to have? What is your mission statement? What is your vision? What is your marketing plan? What percent of your overhead do you feel comfortable spending on marketing? How much do want (legally) to delegate to your staff? How many patients do you want to see per day? How many different practice locations do you want to have? What are your financial policies?

Write the answers to these questions down. Share them with your spouse, office manager or trusted non-competitive colleague. Analyze your answers and refer back often to re-evaluate your plan!
Orthotown Magazine
September 2025
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