Every dentist says they want to get out of the insurance game. Dr. Jessica Emery never got in it.

She opened Sugar Fix Dental Loft in a run-down former record store in Chicago in 2006, fee-for-service from day one, collecting 100 percent up front, zero AR, and had her best year while the recession was starting. The bank made her hire a consultant to get the loan. She fired them three months after opening. She ran the practice front-desk-less, worked 24 hours a week, collected seven figures a year, and gave her team eight weeks of paid vacation. Then she sold it without a broker to a dentist who messaged her on Instagram, and closed with a three-month transition because there was no AR to unwind.

Her model is not for everyone, and she says so. But it is proof that most of what dentists call impossible is a decision they haven't made.

Jessica now lives in Charleston, where she's rebuilding White Hot, her teeth whitening bar, and works with dentists through Dental Founder. Find her on Instagram @drjessicaemery

This May Hurt is produced by the Dental Ownership Collective, an independent education and community platform for dentists 12 to 24 months out from ownership. Curriculum, community, and verified membership at dentalownership.com.

Follow the show at @dentalownership on Instagram.

Growing a dental practice brings bigger expenses, more responsibility, and harder decisions about people.

In the first episode of This May Hurt, Justin Clements talks with Dr. David Weber about the realities of practice ownership: taking on responsibility at 26, moving beyond survival mode, and discovering why growth doesn't automatically make the business easier to run.

They discuss:
• Why expenses can grow before the benefits of expansion arrive
• Practice acquisition and financing
• The connection between patient relationships and clinical trust
• Hiring, recognizing potential, and making difficult staffing decisions

Dr. Weber shares his experience at Restore Dental Arts in Michigan City and LaPorte, Indiana.

Connect with Dr. Weber on Instagram: @jdavidweberdds

This May Hurt is a podcast from Dental Ownership Collective about the truth of owning a dental practice.