Section 179: Tax Savings on New Dental Equipment

Section 179: Tax Savings on New Dental Equipment

One of the single most impactful ways to grow your dental practice is by investing in new dental equipment. Doctors who invest in the latest technology are amazed by how dramatically it transforms the way they practice. They are able to see and treat dental pathology they were missing for years using outdated equipment. They feel confident and secure that they are truly able to provide the highest level of care and treatment available to their patients.

Dr. Russell Mann on Investing in CBCT

Whenever I am talking to doctors about growing their practices and improving the quality of care they can provide their patients by investing in new dental equipment I always remind them of section 179 of the tax code. This rule allows a small business owner to deduct a significant portion of their investment in new equipment and software for that fiscal year.

To benefit from this deduction for tax year 2017, the equipment can be financed or purchased and must be put into service between January 1, 2017 and the end of the day on December 31, 2017. The cap on the investment can change from year to year and the cap this year is $510,000 and the percentage of the deduction on this investment can be between 35%-50%. In other words if you were to buy $100,000 of new equipment before the end of this year you could potentially deduct $35,000 from your taxable income for 2017.

There is still time to take advantage in 2017 of the tax deduction available to you on the investment you make in dental equipment for your practice! I am available to help you customize an equipment package that will fit your budget and the growth goals you have in mind. You can use this calculator provided by Section179.org to calculate the savings you would recoup on the cost of your investment in 2017.

There is still plenty of time between now and the end of the year to assess your equipment needs including state of the art Solea All Tissue Dental Laser and  Dentsply Sirona 3D CBCT Imaging Systems. 

I have the experience and insight to help you evaluate key elements necessary to optimize the outcome of your investment. Please take a moment to view equipment options and read testimonials from doctors about practice growth goals I have helped them achieve. Let’s meet to discuss ways we can work together to build the successful modern dental practice of your dreams.

The Value of a Trustworthy Advisor

The Value of a Trustworthy Advisor

If you are thinking of enlarging your existing dental practice, or building a brand new one, it’s one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life. It can feel risky and daunting, and it will raise lots of questions: Where should I start? Who can I trust? How can I maximize the return on my investment? Working with a trustworthy advisor can make your decision, and the entire process that follows, flow smoothly and help to ensure the most ideal outcome. Real growth for your business requires analysis, investment, and a well-crafted strategic plan designed specifically for you.

Customized 3D Dental Practice Floor Plan

I have been working with doctors for 25 years in the greater Boston and Southern NH region. I have collaborated with them to plan a full range of practice growth solutions that include basic, functional, or optimal options to fit every budget and vision. My experience with 600+ dental projects has give me an in depth knowledge of all types of dental practice design concepts that incorporate an ergonomic approach, maximize space utilization, and are lean and efficient. Over the years I have collected and vetted a team of proven contractors, architects, designers, financial planners and real estate brokers who collaborate with me to find a location, arrange the necessary financing, and design and build exactly what you need to achieve your unique business growth goals.

I cannot stress enough to prospective clients the importance of following a plan that incorporates my proven strategic approach for success. I meet with many doctors who try to start off their process with a drawing, or a cost estimate determined with no financial analysis, or a location that was not properly “diagnosed” by an expert as the best place to achieve their practice vision or their financial business goals. Ultimately your practice growth plan must follow an identical process to planning a full mouth reconstruction case for a patient. There are logical steps that you must implement to diagnose, plan treatment, estimate cost, present to your patient and then execute the plan to achieve an optimal outcome. A complex case will likely involve specialists that you know and trust and always refer to. Your trust in the peers you respect let’s you confidently assure your patients that they will get the treatment they need to achieve the best outcome. Your decision to grow your business, and the “treatment plan” and execution strategy that are going to get you there, deserve the same careful attention, planning and expertise that you give all of your patients.

My reputation, experience, advice and insight are the greatest assets I have to offer my clients. The relationship I have with my doctor clients is a long-term commitment to the ongoing health and growth of their business. The customized treatment plan I develop for them is key to the successful execution of their project vision and I continue to be a dedicated trusted advisor long after that vision becomes a reality! Please take a moment to view featured projects and read testimonials from doctors about their projects. You can also fill out Getting Started forms on my website. Let’s meet to discuss ways we can work together to plan and build the successful modern dental practice of your dreams.

See What You’re Missing… What Doctor’s Are Saying About CBCT

See What You’re Missing… What Doctor’s Are Saying About CBCT

One of the most gratifying parts of my job as a Patterson equipment specialist is meeting up with a doctor after they’ve purchased a CBCT cone beam scanner for their practice. Their passion for dentistry is sparked by the high level of diagnostics and the improved treatment options the 3D imaging enables them to provide their patients.

What Doctor’s Are Saying About CBCT

Dr Nitish Nahata added 3D cone beam when built his state of the art facility, Tewksbury Dental Associates, in 2016 in Tewksbury MA. He installed Sirona Orthophos SL in his office and never looked back. Recently Dr. Nahata told me, “Bill, the two most important pieces of equipment in my practice are my camera and my cone beam.” His associate, Dr. Zack Goldman, added, “For diagnosing pathology, endodontic procedures, and implant treatment planning our capabilities are now next level, if we can see it we can treat it, and we see everything now!”

Video courtesy of RefreshDental

What ARE You Missing?

In an article entitled “Contemporary Endodontic Technology: Cone Beam Imaging in Treatment Planning,” published in January, 2014 in the AAE (American Academy of Endodontics) journal The Communique, Dr. Mohamed I. Fayad, D.D.S, M.S., Ph.D., reports that “CBCT identified an additional 62% of roots with periapical lesions and demonstrated higher accuracy” than traditional 2D x-rays. Side by side comparisons of 2D vs 3D often graphically demonstrate pathology that simply cannot be detected in the traditional 2D x-ray.

Another study in the same article concluded that, “34% of the radiolucencies detected with CBCT were missed with periapical radiography in maxillary premolars and molars. It was concluded that the detection of apical periodontitis was considerably higher with CBCT than with periapical radiography. Thus, CBCT was found to be a more sensitive diagnostic method to identify apical periodontitis.”

 

3D Image

 

Seeing IS Believing

So if you are looking to elevate your practice to that next level consider attending the upcoming 3D Summit on Digital Dentistry with the only live-patient, hands-on, dental education seminar fully dedicated to the clinical integration of 3D Cone Beam imaging, CAD/CAM and single visit dentistry and medical billing for dental offices. This event is presented by Sirona and is taking place October 27-28 in Boston. You can register here and I look forward to seeing you there!

I help doctors evaluate location for a new or expanding practice with a keen awareness of the key elements necessary to optimize the outcome on their investment. Please take a moment to view featured projects and read testimonials from doctors about finding their ideal location. Let’s meet to discuss ways we can work together to find yours and build the successful modern dental practice of your dreams.

Start Ups and the Break Even Point

Start Ups and the Break Even Point

Whenever I meet with doctors looking to build a start up practice I hear all the concerns and questions that cause them to hesitate. They’ll say to me: “I don’t have any patients, how can I grow my patient base to meet the expenses? Will new technology and equipment help me see more dentistry? How can I find a location to maximize the visibility of my business?”

What it really comes down to is one simple question: how long will it take to see the return on my investment? I tell doctors all the time don’t underestimate the power of a new, fresh dental practice in a convenient accessible location. Patients, who are actually dental customers, want a state of the art, convenient dental office. The guiding principle behind all of the customized plans and project timelines I create for start up dental practices is to get them to that break even point as soon as possible. In fact, over the years, I’ve developed a formula that typically reaches the break even point for start ups in just 7-9 months. Using a time tested methodology for analyzing location, designing space, optimizing equipment and technology choices most of my clients are happily in the black in under a year.

Start Up Case #1 Specialist Start Up

Over this past year I worked with an orthodontist who opened a start up orthodontic office in January of 2017. She invested in a high visibility plaza location, created a paperless office with digital x-ray, pan, ceph, four brand new treatment centers and a consultation operatory. The office includes state of the art sterilization center and a lab with perfect work flow. She worked to market the new practice, connected with her surrounding community and referral doctors in the area. When I checked in with her in July, just 7 months after she opened the door, she told me had a steady stream of patients and was no longer concerned about her payments. She had reached the break even point on schedule and according to plan.

Start Up Case #2 General Dentist Solo Practitioner Start Up

It can be daunting to build a solo GP start up practice, but a high visibility location in a retail plaza near great schools and in a growing area offers incredible opportunity for a solo practitioner. In November 2016 a fresh, new, family- centered general practice with a wide range of treatment options opened. The office was equipped with three treatment rooms and prebuilt to add two more. In just 8 months the doctor has added a hygienist two days per week and is averaging 35 new patients a month. She has surpassed her break even point on her investment and mentioned she will need to discuss the fourth treatment room and more technology in the coming months.

As you can see start up practices are very possible, and can be highly successful, with the right plan and the right support. In fact, a start up practice can be an excellent alternative to purchasing an older practice that needs extensive updating and retrofit. My team and I know all the parameters and the variables to stack success on your side. We have wealth of experience helping doctors successfully open the practice of their dreams and meet that all important break even point as soon as possible!

I help doctors evaluate location for a new or expanding practice with a keen awareness of the key elements necessary to optimize the outcome on their investment. Please take a moment to view featured projects and read testimonials from doctors about finding their ideal location. Let’s meet to discuss ways we can work together to find yours and build the successful modern dental practice of your dreams.