Transitions hook up

Internet matchmaking comes to dentistry.

For years, the Internet has been helping people connect. Whether its friends, romantic partners or employment, the best Web matchmaking sites use some form of interest or compatibility analysis to connect searchers with that which is sought.
Now this technology has come to the business of dentistry. Transdent.com is a new Web-based service that uses this same model to create made-in-heaven dental partnerships. Launched by Mercer Advisors, a leading transitions management, financial services and practice consulting firm based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Transdent.com is a user-friendly, searchable database designed to connect growth-oriented practice owners with associates who are specifically looking for a partnership track.
Just a few months old, the site features more than 250 practices from across the United States, and more than 1900 associate listings, according to Mercer Advisors President David Barton. “We’re seeing more than 2,000 unique visitors a month to the site, and it’s growing fast,” Mr. Barton says. And like any good matchmaking service, not just anyone can join. Transdent.com’s members are screened to ensure high-quality matches, says Mercer CEO and Dental Practice Report contributing editor Imtiaz Manji. Mercer actively recruits associates for the service through Transitions workshops, which Mr. Manji presents at dental schools. And the majority of the practices have been through extensive training programs on building successful associate-to-partner relationships. “Our goal is to accelerate success for new dentists and the practices they join,” Mr. Manji says.
 “We’re not simply providing names,” he says. “The majority of the associates on our site have already been through a training program on the value of transitions planning, and they understand—from a clinical and business viewpoint—what it takes to enter a practice as a productive clinician who adds value and grows the practice.” Mr. Manji conducted 39 such workshops in the 2005-06 school year.  
According to Mr. Manji, the most important aspects in establishing a successful transition are compatibility and knowledge, so the site focuses on facilitating both. The Web site allows practices and associates to search by practice type, specialty, geographic location and other criteria. Dentists can post photos and virtual tours of their practices, allowing potential associates to get a look at the practice from a distance. “We have strived to create a venue that allows practices and associates to learn a lot about each other even before the initial contact is made,” Mr. Manji says. No user contact information is publicly shared through the Web site. Transdent.com guides all contacts to ensure that practices and potential associates are contacted only by qualified candidates.
The site also contains a wealth of literature and resources on all aspects of transitions planning and creating a great win-win relationship. For more information, visit www.transdent.com or call 800-588-0098. For a short time, practice owners who join the service will receive a complimentary one-hour practice analysis.

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