I hope this email finds you, your family and staff well and healthy.
 
When thinking about the current situation, it is also important to note that there are some "silver linings". One of them -  when we come together as human beings, working for a common cause. This gives us hope that we will prevail as this current situation settles more and the horizon comes more into focus over time - particularly now with recent news of dental offices preparing to see patients beyond "urgent and emergent." 

I would like to offer a few important perspectives (and a couple of silver linings) gathered from discussions with dental professionals both locally and nationally. 

• Dentists are well positioned for a strong recovery.  While many industries are faced with unprecedented uncertainty, people will always need dentists. While it may take some time and adjustment, with elective and cosmetic treatments taking more time to rebound, dentists are better positioned to weather this crisis. 

 

• More dentists are now considering early retirement.  In recent weeks, I have had calls with dentists who may have only been casually considering a future practice sale, yet are now understandably thinking about moving up their timetables.  For these dentists, earlier retirement presents a brighter path than undertaking a recovery effort. This current downtime is allowing dentists to have initial conversations about an earlier sale and how they can best prepare. If this describes you, I welcome the opportunity to explore your thoughts, ideas and goals of what transitioning your practice might look like.  We can discuss options and help develop a game plan for you moving forward.  

 

• Dental practices continue to be recognized as a low financial risk. Our team of experts report that lenders continue to recognize the stability of our industry, despite the crisis. This means that funding options for buyers will likely remain favorable in post-pandemic recovery lending programs. Further, we also see that the disruption caused by this crisis appears to be displacing a segment of younger and mid-career dentists, who will seek to use available funding to establish their own practices rather than returning to work for others. 

You can rely on ddsmatch as an advisor and resource at this time.  We are here for you, and are prepared to provide the experience, depth of insight, integrity, and commitment to finding solutions for which ddsmatch is known. I am optimistic about the future and believe in the tenacity of our dental community. Often the unexpected is a catalyst for positive change and creative solutions. As the poet Maya Angelou said, “I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”  
 
All the best for a good tomorrow,

Roy Fruehauf
ddsmatch