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The Clauses That Cost You: What to Check in a Dental Associate Agreement

For dentists holding an associate offer who want to find the costly clauses and know what to ask before they sign.

Read your contract as a story about how the job ends. The clause that costs you is the boring one that waits.

About this Guide

Chairlink Answers · Career Growth · Field Guide

Most associate contracts don't hurt you on day 1. They hurt you on your last day.

This guide teaches you to read your agreement the way an attorney does: as a story about how the job ends. Start with the contract searches, the crown example, and the checklist on this page. Then download the full guide for all 7 clause families and the exact questions to ask.

The 7 clause families

Family What it asks

1. Reach Where can't you work after you leave?

2. Exit Can you leave, and what does it cost?

3. Status Are you an employee or a contractor, and who pays if that's wrong?

4. Basis What is your percentage a percentage of?

5. Floor Is your minimum yours to keep, or a loan?

6. Cover Who handles insurance, expenses, offices, and records?

7. Promise Does talk of ownership actually bind anyone?

How to use it

  1. Open your contract as a PDF, and run the 8 searches below.
  2. Work out your pay on 3 real cases.
  3. Draw your non compete on a map.
  4. Take your blanks to a dental employment attorney licensed in your state.

This guide can't tell you if a clause holds up in your state. Only a dental employment attorney licensed there can. This guide is education, not legal, tax, accounting, insurance, or financial advice.

Federal non compete status checked 10 September 2026.

Written and reviewed by the Chairlink Answers editorial team.

Try this on your contract

The 3 question test: For any clause you're not sure about, ask: When does it fire? What does it cost? Who decides it fired?

If you can't answer all 3, write the clause down, and take it to your attorney as a specific question.

A contract is a story about how the job ends

Picture this. It's year 2. A practice across town comes up for sale, and you want it. Here's what your contract does next:

  1. Notice says you must give 90 days. The seller wants to close in 30.
  2. Penalties charge a set amount for every day you leave early.
  3. The non compete is measured from every office the group owns. The practice you want is inside a circle.
  4. The bank reads your contract and declines the loan. Nobody ever went to court.

Scan your contract in 10 minutes

Open your contract as a PDF, and search for these words. Each one points to a clause worth a second look.

Search for What it can mean Ask for

radius, miles, any location Your non compete may cover every office, not just yours Measured from the office where you work, and how it's measured

solicit Even a general ad could count as going after patients "Solicit" defined, and general advertising excluded

without cause, notice They can let you go easily, but you can't leave The same notice and the same rights both ways

liquidated damages, per day A daily penalty that grows into a wall A cap, or a penalty that shrinks over time

independent contractor, indemnify You could pay the fine if the practice set up your tax status wrong Remove the clause that makes you pay their fines

collections, adjusted production This decides what your percentage is actually a percentage of 3 real cases worked out on paper

recoverable, draw Your "minimum" might be a loan you pay back A guarantee, or a clear payback rule with a monthly report

termination near collections Whether you're paid for work that gets paid after you leave Your percentage of money that arrives after your last day

Can't find a word? That can be a problem too. No mention of money after you leave usually means you don't get it.

The base beats the percentage

The American Dental Association uses 1 crown to show this. Billed $1,500. Insurance allows $1,000. The practice collects $950.

Your deal You earn on that crown

35% of collections $332.50

35% of adjusted production $350.00

30% of total production $450.00

The lowest percentage pays the most. These are teaching numbers, not typical ones. Ask the owner to work out your pay on 3 real cases, then do it on your own. If you get different answers, the clause isn't finished.

Before you sign

What the full guide adds

All 7 clause families in order, plus:

As of 10 September 2026, the FTC says its non compete rule is not in effect, so state law decides.

Download the Full Guide

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