You're losing money by paying associates

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

You’re losing money by paying your associates to do Clear Aligners.
I see a lot of practices making this mistake.
Here’s why it’s costing you—and how to fix it. 👇🏽

When I first saw a practice using the Production Frontload model for paying associates, it seemed logical:

• Associate starts the case, earns 30% of production.

• Lab bill? Deducted at 30%.

• Paid out just like restorative work.

Sounds simple, right?

It works beautifully when patients pay in full upfront.

But let’s be real—most patients don’t.

The Problem:

• Ortho payments trickle in over months with flexible financing plans.

• The practice gets stuck fronting the lab bill while payments slowly roll in.

• If the associate leaves mid-treatment? You’re in trouble.

Now you’re hiring a new associate to take over unfinished cases.

How do you pay them if the first associate already got paid?

You can’t ask them to finish cases for free—that’s insulting and guaranteed to create resentment.

This is how practices end up losing not one but two associates and facing massive headaches.

Takeaway:
Production Frontload is great for associates, but terrible for the business.

If this is the model you’re using, it’s time to rethink.

One solution I recommend is the Start + Finish Model.
It’s the framework I have all my DSO clients and practice owners implement to ensure a fair and effective way to pay associates without hurting the business.

I break this model down in the youtube video below.

Video of the Week

This video breaks down all the payment models for associates - including the Start and Finish Method.

If you are a practice owner - watch this so you run a more efficient business.

If you are an associate - watch this so you can share with your owner.

Your Friend,

Dr. Avi

P.S. We do 2 day in person courses to help docs get the confidence to start offering aligners. We have a few spots left for our upcoming course May 16-17.

Check it out here 🚀

Want to learn more from me?

Free Trainings

Courses

DSO Solutions

Follow me on social

Don't want to be part of the newsletter community anymore? No worries! Unsubscribe here

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

If you do not want another email from me ever again - unsubscribe below. I will be sad to see you go as I plan to continue to bring as much value as I can for you - but I understand if you don't find any of this valuable. Best of luck with everything and thanks for your time!
Unsubscribe · Preferences

Read more from Get Clear Insights Straight to Your Inbox

I don’t even know what to charge for aligners.

If you’re unsure about pricing… you’ll always undercharge. I did that for months. I priced low because I was scared to lose the case. But that just led to resentment — more work, less profit, no sustainability. Then I switched to a model that made sense — for me and the patient. Here’s how I price aligners now: Take your lab fee (let’s say $1,200–$1,800) Multiply it by 3x for your total fee — that builds in profit, chairtime, and refinements Script the value confidently: “This is designed to...

14 days ago • 1 min read

If you haven’t started aligners yet, read this

Social media makes it feel like every dentist is doing 10+ aligner cases a month. And if you haven’t started… it feels like you’ve missed the boat. I felt that too. I waited longer than I should’ve — and beat myself up about it. But once I got the right support, I made up for lost time fast. If that’s where you’re at, here’s what I’d focus on first: Pick 1 case you feel good about and commit to starting it this month Block time to learn: 30 minutes/week on just case selection + planning Stop...

20 days ago • 1 min read

AI is in dentistry—here’s what actually matters

Hey Friends, AI is everywhere in dentistry right now. Some people think it’ll replace doctors. Others think it’s just hype. The truth? It’s a tool. And like any tool, it’s only useful if it actually helps you make more money or improve patient outcomes. Here’s where AI can actually make a difference in your practice: • Treatment planning. Faster, more predictable setups for aligner cases. YOU still need to know what is going on with the movements but it can speed up the process and remove a...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read