American Dental Management, Inc.

Founded in 1994, ADM was conceived and created by Dr. Scott Calev in Phoenix, AZ.  Dr. Calev, a 1980 graduate of NYU, realized the importance of allowing the dentist full control over the diagnosis and treatment planning of the patient while creating and maintaining an efficient and supportive business operation. After testing his business model in both large and small dental offices that he owned since 1983, he partnered with Charles Jackson, senior executive of American Dental Plan, and opened the first co-owned dental office in May 1995. Using the American Dental Plan as a primary source of cash paying patients, the patient base quickly grew in size and additional associate dentists were hired to handle the needs of the patients.

The concept was very simple: the dentists focus on patient care while ADM provides full administrative services (which include payroll, accounts payable, bookkeeping and reporting to owners). ADM is also responsible for hiring and training support staff, interviewing associate dentists, negotiating and signing all property leases, coordinating construction of new offices, maintaining computer and insurance claim systems, risk and practice management issues, and identifying opportunities for increased efficiencies in office operations.

Currently, American Dental Management, Inc. co-owns and manages three dental offices in the Phoenix Metro area.  One full time associate position, with buy-in option, is available in our Arrowhead Office, (75th Ave and Cactus).  If you wish to learn more about this exciting alternative to dental office ownership, continue to read the Business Concept section as well as the recent article published in the Dec 2003 Managed Dental Care publication and the FAQ section at the end.



Thanks for your time and consideration.  Let us know how we can help you in the field of Dentistry. 

(FYI we are "old school" and believe the telephone is a more effective approach to efficient communication than emails.  Feel free to call us!)

American Dental Management, Inc.,

Founded in 1994

“Assisting Dentists by Providing Equity Capital and Practical Business Experience”

How Can I Start My Own Dental Practice?
Whether you are a dentist with many years of experience or a recent graduate of dental school, at some point in your career you will be faced with the opportunity of opening your own dental practice. As a sole proprietor, the individual business owner must wear many hats: accountant, business consultant, construction coordinator, purchasing agent, marketing manager, advertising specialist, attorney, human resources manager, real estate agent and finally, dentist. History has shown that even dentists fall to the same perils of new business start-ups: expenses too high and revenue too low. This situation only creates financial burden, emotional stress and eventual burnout.

There are Only 12 hours in a Day
Another very important factor to keep in mind is that time is limited during the business day to direct, control and supervise the dental business. Marketing plans have to be designed and implemented, staff has to be interviewed, trained and monitored, equipment has to be purchased and maintained and new patients keep demanding earlier and/or later office hours. After awhile it will become very apparent that one person can not effectively and efficiently manage the operations of a dental office, provide quality dentistry and make a reasonable profit. Hiring a front office manager to run the business produces new challenges including honesty, loyalty and questions of business experience and knowledge.

Now, There is an Option
American Dental Management, Inc. can offer you the opportunity to open your own dental office by:

Here’s how it all starts:
If you are considering future ownership while working as an associate dentist, send us your CV and request an personal interview.  We are currently seeking qualified dentists for our NorthWest Phx location. The position may be either part time or full time with up to 4 weeks vacation each year. During the period of your associateship, we will each evaluate the opportunity of becoming business partners.  You control the timing and the decision to move forward. Our goal is to provide an easy transition for you from Associate Dentist to Owner/Dentist.

Business Concept:

Methods of Compensation:
If your goal is to create a successful business, you cannot pay-out more than what you collect, less operating expenses. With operating overhead averaging 50-60%, we pay the dentist 30% of collections, (the dental office pays all lab bills). The balance is retained for working capital, equipment purchases, etc. and the balance paid to owners.  How much you make as a practicing dentist is determined on your ability to properly diagnose and treat the patient. When you become a partial owner in the practice, you will receive additional incentive pay based on the profitability of the dental office and your percentage of ownership of that specific office. In all cases, the incentive pay dramatically increases the dentists’ total compensation.

Dentistry and Administration working together:

Scott N. Calev, DDS, monitors the quality of dentistry, handles risk management issues, designs office layouts, trains staff, coordinates purchase of additional equipment and instruments and is available for consultation outside the operatory. Dr. Calev is a 1980 graduate of New York University and has attended the University of Arizona MBA program and American Graduate School of International Management. He has opened and successfully maintained multiples offices in the Phoenix area and practiced without interruption until an early arthritic condition forced his surgery and disability in November 2002. Dr. Calev is co-founder of American Dental Management, Inc., and consults with many independent dentists regarding a variety of dental office related issues.

In addition to overseeing and managing dental offices, Dr. Calev has also donated over 100 hours assisting with the investigations at the Arizona Board of Dental Examiners and is currently acting "dentist consultant" for the Arizona Children's Refugee Program.

Dr. Calev is available for practice management consulting in the areas of  1) risk management issues, 2) Board records/chart compliance, 3) patient "customer" service issues, and 4) ethically maximizing your office revenue potential.

Charles E. Jackson, President of American Dental Mgmt., handles all administration and all financial matters. Mr. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Arizona State University, was a licensed real estate broker and NASD licensed and has extensive experience in financial negotiations and business matters. Since 1992, he owns and operates American Dental Plan, a reduced fee dental plan, founded in 1978, with over 500 participating dentists and approximately 28,000 current plan members. His responsibilities with American Dental Management include dental office site selection, lease negotiations, staff hiring, payroll, accounts payable, various administrative tasks and financial reporting to owners.

Sam Palmer, DMD, has recently joined American Dental Management to aid in the risk management division.  Dr. Palmer was in private practice from 1975 through 2002.  He was a member of the Central Arizona Dental Society Peer Review committee and has been extensively involved with the State Board of Dental Examiners as a Clinical Evaluator, an Investigative Interview Hearings and Expert Witness, and Chief Investigator. He is an adjunct faculty member and clinic instructor at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Mesa, AZ.


Nancy Liephardt is office coordinator for all office locations and monitors hiring/firing of staff, purchase of supplies, billing, and is responsible for training front and back office personnel. Ms. Liephardt worked as dental office manager for over 15 years with Dr. Calev in private practice.

Other Professional Services Available from American Dental Management, Inc.

If you have already made the decision to open your own office, American Dental Mgmt, Inc can still offer a variety of businesses services to help your practice become more successful:

Office Design and Build-out
Once you have selected a site, the layout and design work must begin quickly in order to move your project forward. Time is of the essence and depending on how much time your landlord has allocated for construction, you need architectural plans and building permits quickly.

Architects can design a “sexy” dental office, but many times they are not familiar with the internal demands of staff & patients, HIPPA rules and space efficiencies. We can help design your office from scratch or review your existing plans. Many times our design cost-saving techniques will save thousands of dollars in construction costs which also reduce the amount of large equipment purchases.

Patient Delivery Systems 
Once the doors are open, will you have enough patients to fill your appointment book and cover your expenses? American Dental Plan can provide a steady flow of cash paying patients without any administrative costs or plan restrictions. History has shown that many of these patients will change jobs and may obtain dental benefits from their new employer. Discount today, full price tomorrow. This proven technique is certainly an excellent way to reduce out-of-pocket advertising expenses and create immediate cash flow.

Review of Treatment Plans and Patient Management Consulting
Many associates look for the "maturing dentist" who will provide years of assistance and then sell the practice to them. Unfortunately, this does not happen very often. Practices are sold with a 6 month or less transition period with little motivation from the “selling” dentist to provide any technical or practical assistance. Many aging practices do not take time to replace patient attrition and end up reducing their work week rather than hiring associate dentists and gaining new patients.

Our consulting team can assess existing patient charts for risk management issues, (for the benefit of either buyer or seller), of the dental practice, identify diagnosing and treatment planning based on State guidelines.  We can also review the financial statements to help with billing/collection issues, operating overhead percentages, staff wages, etc. 

Practice Management Services
Areas include risk management issues, compliance audits, records compliance, customer service, and ethically maximizing your revenue potential.  Chart reviews are also available for pre/post sale planning, pre/post Board audits, risk assessment of associate dentists, and Management Companies unfamiliar with dental office requirements.

Other Management Services
In addition to the above services, ADM can also assist you with Accounts Payable & Payroll (with reporting to your CPA),  Staff Hiring/Firing and Training, Incoming Phone Call Management, Dental Equipment Purchases, Billing Issues/Resolutions, and much more.  Contact our office with your own individualized needs.

Read what the Industry says about us:

"ADM Offers Dentists Ownership After Testing The PM Water" - Managed Dental Care, Dec. 2003 issue (45k, Adobe Acrobat required; download reader if needed)


Current Employment Opportunities (July 07)
Associate Dentist
Full time general dentist position with buy-in option.  Located at 75th Ave and Cactus near the Peoria Sports Complex and just south of Arrowhead Mall.  Approx $40K per month in production with stable patient base and room to grow.  Fee for Service and PPO, approx 55% operating overhead, 4 fully outfitted operatories, devoted staff.  Will consider recent graduates or experienced dentist.  Start today and earn top dollar.  Existing dentist is transitioning to another location.



Interesting Facts:
Did you know...

If you are spending $3000 on an advertising campaign and your office operating overhead is the national average of 65%, you will need $8572 in gross revenue as a direct result of the advertisement just to pay for the campaign!!!

If your office overhead is 70%, you will need $10,000 in gross revenue just to pay for the ad.

And, if your office overhead is 90%, (like most capitation based offices) you will need $30,000 of added revenue just to pay for a simple $3000 ad. Without any profits!

This is the importance of managing your business efficiently.

Other bits of info:
Over 1000 dental related subpeonas are issued each year in Arizona.

Nearly 500 consumer directed complaints are filed with the State Board of Dental Examiners every year.

90% of complaints are based on practice communications, (including turnover of associate dentists in large clinics).

How prepared is your practice?


To obtain a free, confidential appointment, with no obligation,

contact Charles Jackson at

American Dental Management, Inc. (602) 265-7727


Frequently Asked Questions

1. What type of committment do I have with ADM? 
The initial associate position gives us both an opportunity to “test the waters” without any long term commitment from either party. You will, however, be asked to sign an employment agreement for the first 12 months with a 90 day notice clause. Afterwards, you control the pace for moving forward towards office ownership.

2. What if I don’t like the office where I am working. Can I leave or move to another office? Each office, whether one you own or not, can present certain challenges on a day by day basis. As a professional, you must understand that adjustments can be made to make any office more enjoyable based on the staff and dentists. Situations that arise are monitored on a regular basis and are handled individually.

3. How can I make more money as an Associate Dentist with your company? Each dentist needs to understand that in order to make more money, certain efficiencies and levels of competencies must be achieved. You must strive to become a better dentist, perfect your techniques, attend continuing education classes, and reduce your time for certain procedures. By learning a new procedure, you can service more of your patient base without referring to Specialists. Dentistry today is much more than “crown and bridge”. Our business plan will create the environment you need to move your skills to the next level. Increased skills directly relates to more compensation.

4. How profitable are the dental offices? Operational expenses are closely monitored to maximize profits without jeopardizing patient care. Even though each dentist has full control over diagnosing and treatment plans, joint decisions are made as to which equipment, supplies and materials are used in each office. Currently, office operating overhead is approx 50% of revenue. (National statistics show the average general dentistry office overhead ranges from 65% to as high as 90%).

5. What if I only want to work as an Associate? There is never any pressure to move towards office ownership. If you are happy as an Associate dentist, we can arrange for full and part time Associate positions.

6. What if I want to open my own dental office. Can you still help without taking away my control? Yes! Many dentists ask for our assistance in helping design a space efficient dental office utilizing the latest HIPPA and OSHA standards all within an affordable budget.  They also ask for assistance in hiring staff, handling accounts payables, payroll, incoming phone call management, risk management issues and equipment purchases.

7.What do I need to do to get started? Call us now at (602) 265-7727 for a private and confidential inverview. (Emails, though convenient, may not always provide an efficient method of communication.  Go ahead, pick up the phone and speak with us.)

8.  I am considering purchasing an existing practice.  How can your services help me?  We are able to review various patient charts to determine any potential risk management issues and to help evaluate the philosophies of the selling dentist.  These items, and more, can help determine your direction of providing continuing dental care to the existing patients of the practice.



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