NMDA Journal Summer 2019

nmdental.org 23 improvements. Many dental schools have embarked on this movement, creating brand new facilities, which in turn drive up the level of indebtedness on their students. Any one of these factors could be overcome, but taken together; they create a “perfect storm” forcing the majority of new dentists to become accustomed to the reality that they will spend some portion of their career as an employee dentist. Most millennials got into the profession for the same reasons that Baby Boomers and Generation X’ers did—they want to help their patients and have some control over their destiny. Any employee dentist—be it someone who works at a DSO, a FQHC, or as an associate—will tell you that there are things that their employer requires them to do that drives them crazy; things that they will change when they are “in charge.” Unfortunately, a surplus of dentists, a glut of opportunities and a high level of indebted- ness (it is not uncommon to hear of dentists who owe over $500,000 in student loans) means that their dream will take a little longer to become a reality.