A nonsolo dentist is any dentist who practices alongside at least one other dentist, whether in a group private practice, a dental service organization (DSO), a public health clinic, or an academic setting. The key distinction is simple: if you’re the only dentist at your practice location, you’re solo. If you work with other dentists in any capacity, you’re nonsolo.
This question typically appears in dental board exams or practice management courses, and the best answer describes a nonsolo dentist as one who shares a practice setting with one or more other dentists, often sharing overhead costs, staff, facilities, and patient responsibilities.
What Makes a Dentist “Nonsolo”
The term covers a wide range of arrangements. A nonsolo dentist might be a partner who co-owns a two-dentist office, an associate working under a practice owner, or an employee at a large corporate dental chain with hundreds of locations. The common thread is that multiple dentists operate within the same practice structure, sharing some combination of physical space, administrative systems, equipment, or business operations.
According to 2024 data from the American Dental Association, about two-thirds of U.S. dentists now work in nonsolo settings. Only 34% practice as a solo dentist in a single location. The largest nonsolo category, at 39%, is dentists working at a single location with at least one other dentist. Another 10% work in practices with 2 to 9 locations, and 11% work in organizations with 100 or more locations. The shift toward nonsolo practice is accelerating as younger dentists enter the workforce, favoring group practices and DSOs over solo ownership.
Types of Nonsolo Practice
Nonsolo dental practice generally falls into a few categories:
- Group private practice: Two or more dentists jointly own and operate a practice, typically sharing equipment, a building, and support staff. This is the most traditional form of nonsolo dentistry.
- Associateship: A dentist works as an employee or independent contractor within someone else’s practice. Associates treat patients using the practice’s facilities and staff but don’t hold an ownership stake (at least initially).
- Dental service organizations (DSOs): A corporate entity handles the business side, including billing, marketing, human resources, and compliance, while dentists focus on clinical care. DSOs range from small networks of 10 to 30 offices to massive chains with hundreds of locations nationwide.
- Public health and academic settings: Dentists working in community health centers, government clinics, or dental schools also fall under the nonsolo umbrella, though these make up a smaller share of the workforce.
How Nonsolo Dentists Are Paid
Compensation for nonsolo dentists varies widely depending on the practice type and the dentist’s role. The ADA identifies four common models:
A straight salary pays a fixed amount regardless of how many patients you see. A salary-plus model adds a production-based commission on top of base pay. For example, a dentist might earn $7,000 per month plus 10% of their billings, bringing the total closer to $10,000 if they generate $30,000 in production. A straight commission arrangement ties all compensation to a percentage of what you produce or collect, with no guaranteed base. Finally, a net profit model pays based on your billings minus expenses like lab fees and overhead.
Associates and DSO employees most commonly start on salary or salary-plus arrangements. Dentists who become partners in a group practice typically transition toward production-based or net-profit models that more closely reflect their individual contribution.
Advantages of Nonsolo Practice
The biggest draw is reduced financial risk. Starting a solo dental practice requires significant capital for equipment, real estate, and staffing. In a group practice or DSO, those costs are shared or absorbed by the organization. New graduates can begin treating patients immediately without taking on hundreds of thousands of dollars in business debt on top of their student loans.
Collaboration is another major benefit. Working alongside other dentists, including specialists, gives nonsolo practitioners daily opportunities to consult on complex cases, learn new techniques, and build clinical confidence. This mentorship aspect is especially valuable in the first few years after dental school. Shared staffing also means built-in coverage for vacations and emergencies, something solo practitioners have to arrange on their own.
Trade-Offs to Consider
The most frequently cited downside is loss of control. In surveys of dentists working in corporate settings, the recurring frustration centers on autonomy: less say over which materials and suppliers the practice uses, how their schedule is structured, and sometimes even treatment planning decisions. The larger the organization, the more standardized the protocols tend to be.
Solo practitioners often highlight schedule flexibility as a key reason they chose that path, setting their own hours and making every business decision independently. Nonsolo dentists, particularly those in associate or employee roles, typically work within a schedule and framework set by someone else. For dentists who prioritize clinical independence above all else, that trade-off can feel significant.
The spectrum is wide, though. Some smaller DSOs give their dentists full operational autonomy while handling only the administrative burden. Others run every office with identical processes, branding, and layouts. The experience of being a nonsolo dentist depends heavily on which type of organization you join.