What Our Doctors Say
As I began formulating an exit strategy for myself, I considered various options from the traditional associateship transition to an outright sale or a possible affiliation with a DSO or DPO. Unfortunately, none of my children were interested in dentistry and willing to follow in their father’s footsteps as I had, so that option sadly didn’t exist. I also hadn’t spent a few years grooming an associate to buy into the practice and form a partnership which has its pros and cons too. I wasn’t looking for an outright sale and departure shortly thereafter either, as I am not ready to retire. But I did want more freedom to come and go, spend more time with my grandkids and travel with my wife and family, and not be perpetually burdened by human resource decisions, overhead, and the all-consuming financial responsibilities that that entails. So, I took a hard look at the affiliation route, having vetted several entities out there, and I’m more than thrilled to say it ended up being the best overall decision I could have made. That’s because I can honestly say my partnership with Plum Dental has been a very positive experience. Plum Dental being a DPO or Dental Partnership Organization versus the more traditional corporate leaning DSO or Dental Service Organization has made the world of difference. Plum is run by dentists for dentists, and the Capalbo brothers come from a family of dentists like their father and uncle, so they know the family practice more personal touch that comes with that tradition and they want their practices to feel and be the same. Nothing has changed since affiliating with them. The staff has remained the same and the most important aspect is patient treatment plans and decision-making is still in the hands of the partner dentist. There is no oversight of treatment plans nor pressure to do any unnecessary treatment by Plum Dental. Gone are all the headaches of payroll, bills, and staffing that can distract patient care. You can finally be what you went to dental school for: a dentist. Plum supports your practice in every way possible, from staff coverage, supply and equipment procurement, continuing education, and insurance and billing. It’s a win for everyone involved. Believe me, I have heard some of the nightmares and regrets some of my colleagues have endured by going the corporate route from micro-management to constant staff turnover. Rest assured, that is not the case with Plum Dental. They let you practice the way you should practice. So if you’re considering your options, I highly recommend you give Plum Dental a chance. You won’t regret it by any means. When I first met with Mr. Katz, their financial partner, he hit it on the head for me when he described his previous venture into the healthcare environment as “learning what not to do” regarding managing healthcare. That drove the nail home for me. Best decision I have made, and it wasn’t an easy one considering I was with my dad for many years, and it’s been a family-owned practice for 68 years. If you’re considering the future of your practice and your life, Plum Dental is by far the way to go.
At a certain point in my life, I concluded that it was time for me to retire. I wanted the freedom to spend unscheduled time with my family, especially my young grandchildren. To that end, I determined the value of my practice and building. I first met Michael Capalbo when he came to my office with his administrative assistant to look at the practice and building. We spoke while his assistant retrieved pertinent information from the computer. After walking around the building, he said he wanted both the practice and the building and we shook hands; the business deal was concluded. There was almost no further discussions and/or negotiations and certainly no disagreements. The transaction went as smoothly as any business transaction possibly could. I was relieved to find a dental professional with comparable professional and ethical practices to my own and to whom I could comfortably leave my long term staff and patients.
There are many stresses in running a practice of nearly 40 years. I gladly gave up all building and maintenance issues, as well as the occasional personnel issue. Plum Dental efficiently assumed all of the OSHA, HIPAA, CPR, local state and federal requirements, including continuing education requirements. Plum Dental encouraged me to continue to work in the practice on my flexible schedule; for example, I took generous vacation time in the winter. Any questions (and there weren’t many) were always easily resolved. We have all heard stories where after a practice was purchased, the staff was given unrealistic demands. In my opinion, Plum Dental is only committed to expert dental care.
On that basis, I was willing to turn my practice and lifelong patients over to them. I am extremely comfortable ending my career with my practice in their capable hands. While dental groups are becoming more and more common, I have found the Capalbo family of dentists to be competent practitioners and conscientious and caring people. It is with pleasure that I recommend them to you.
I’ve really valued my experience joining the Plum family. All our dentists have a good amount of autonomy. The sky is the limit as far as making your own treatment plans and delivering on those treatment plans. I really feel that I know what it’s like to walk in the shoes of any of our dentists. Coming out of dental school, I never had the desire to practice as a solo practitioner. So, when the right group came along, it made sense for me to pursue that. With Plum, I make my own clinical decisions to treat my patients, I don’t have to spend my time on administrative needs and issues, and I have access to continuing education and a network of peers that I wouldn’t have access to anywhere else. Plus, I get to enjoy a work/life balance that makes sense for me. Being in the right group makes you feel as though you can rely on the folks around you. The support, both clinically and operationally, is really invaluable.
After only being with Plum for a few short years, I was promoted to Partner and received equity in the company. Having that sense of ownership has been an amazing opportunity that I wasn’t even aware might be available to me until I found Plum Dental. When I joined Plum out of dental school, I mentored with an amazing and experienced dentist for a year, then was given the opportunity to lead a new practice Plum had recently acquired. I was ready for the challenge and it gave me the chance to make the practice uniquely my own, with Plum backing me every step of the way. It’s been an incredible journey in a short time. I look forward to what’s to come!
I was stressed about selling my practice, as well as the transition to adopting the ways of a larger organization. But, I had nothing to worry about! Plum’s warm, family-owned mentality made the 3-month transition process smooth and seamless, with no surprises. Staying on as an associate has allowed me to continue practicing dentistry my way, without the administrative headaches. Plum’s resources and involvement free me up to focus on what I love about practicing dentistry.
When I decided to sell my practice, I was trying to be proactive in thinking about my retirement. I wanted to reduce my schedule and still wanted to practice but didn’t know for how much longer. I had some lingering health issues I needed to consider which added uncertainty to my timing. I sure didn’t consider a global pandemic and how it would impact the dental industry, my employees, and my health. Even before COVID, I was very happy with my decision to sell my practice to Plum Dental. I don’t have anyone else to compare it to though I have heard less positive stories about practice transitions. Plum has done everything I could have hoped they would do, from the initial transaction to managing the practice today (which is almost 3 years since I first met their team). And that’s what you get with Plum – a team of local folks who know what they’re doing and care about you, your employees, and your patients. Without Plum, I might have considered closing my practice for good when COVID hit. They set up an emergency network with some of their younger dentists so I didn’t have to come in, but my patients were being cared for. It’s amazing how quickly they were able to put all of it together.
It’s nice knowing I have a partner who has my back, and also that I can retire when I’m ready…whether that’s next month or five years from now.
I was introduced to Plum Dental a few years back and I’m so happy that I’m now part of the Plum family. When I started practicing dentistry, I knew I wanted to stay local to the community I grew up in and love dearly. I feel so fortunate that I was able to do just that! Plum really understands the local nature of how I wanted to practice and presented me with possible partnership opportunities as I grow with the group. I joined Plum because they stay true to the model of supporting dentists with clinical independence, offer tools like advanced dental technology and continuing education, and understand the importance of the local communities we serve.
When transitioning our practices every dentist has concerns that the new owner will not deliver on the promises they made when purchasing the practice. I would say Plum has been upfront and transparent in every step since the purchase. They have complied with every commitment they made to me. This aspect of the transition is very important to each seller and I have been pleased with the transition. Plum has never interfered with my clinical decision making and all treatment and lab choices are up to me. If I decide to discount a fee for a certain patient, I feel comfortable doing it. This is very reassuring for obvious reasons. Because I plan to work for many years to come, staffing is important to me. Although we have experienced some staff changes, Plum has made every effort to replace staff with quality employees. Overall I would give the company high marks for how well the transition was handled and I am extremely comfortable with our new arrangements. The main change I have noticed is that the administration of the practice is not my responsibility. That is a good feeling.
Selling my practice to Plum has really changed my life. It was like entering into a local family partnership, but with the resources of a larger organization. Plum is right here in town and offers support on every detail of my practice. I’m serving my patients better than ever, and have more free time to focus on family and travel. Joining forces with Plum is one of the best decisions I have ever made!
It’s been a rewarding experience to grow my practice with the support of Plum Dental over the last few years. Before Plum, I had tried to find the right associate dentist to take over my practice when I ultimately decided to retire but didn’t have any luck. I was getting overwhelmed with managing the patient load by myself. The team that Plum has put in place, both in my practice and to support it, is both clinically and operationally remarkable. With the wonderful associate and team I now have on board, I have been able to cut back my days and yet be confident that my patients are being taken care of. The Plum partnership has really lived up to its promises. I am able to enjoy dentistry more and find new free time to do the other things I love.”