Chairlink Guide
Career · v1.0 · Last updated 2026-09-15
For dentists holding an associate offer who want to find the costly clauses and know what to ask before they sign.
Read your contract as a story about how the job ends. The clause that costs you is the boring one that waits.
AI generated. Human guided. Continuously improved.
Most associate contracts don't hurt you on day 1. They hurt you on your last day.
This guide teaches you to read your agreement the way an attorney does: as a story about how the job ends. You'll learn which words to search for, what they really mean, and the exact questions to ask before you sign.
**Who it's for:** dentists holding an associate offer, or about to renew one.
**How long it takes:** about 10 minutes to read, 1 evening to use on your contract.
**What it won't do:** tell you if a clause holds up in your state. Only a dental employment attorney licensed there can.
Short edition, version 1.0. Federal non compete status checked 10 September 2026 and rechecked every 3 months. AI assisted. Human guided. Continuously improved.
Picture this. It's year 2. A practice across town comes up for sale and you want it. Here's what your contract does next:
1. **Notice** says you must give 90 days. The seller wants to close in 30.
2. **Penalties** charge a set amount for every day you leave early.
3. **The non compete** is measured from every office the group owns. The practice you want is inside a circle.
4. **The bank** reads your contract and declines the loan. Nobody ever went to court.
None of these clauses looked scary when you signed. That's the point. The clause that costs you is the boring one that waits.
Open your contract as a PDF and search for these words. Each one points to a clause worth a second look.
Search for What it can mean Ask for
--- --- ---
**radius, miles, any location** Your non compete may cover every office, not just yours Measured from the office where you work, and how it's measured
**solicit** Even a general ad could count as going after patients "Solicit" defined, and general advertising excluded
**without cause, notice** They can let you go easily, but you can't leave The same notice and the same rights both ways
**liquidated damages, per day** A daily penalty that grows into a wall A cap, or a penalty that shrinks over time
**independent contractor, indemnify** You could pay the fine if the practice set up your tax status wrong Remove the clause that makes you pay their fines
**collections, adjusted production** This decides what your percentage is actually a percentage of 3 real cases worked out on paper
**recoverable, draw** Your "minimum" might be a loan you pay back A guarantee, or a clear payback rule with a monthly report
**termination** near **collections** Whether you're paid for work that gets paid after you leave Your percentage of money that arrives after your last day
Can't find a word? That can be a problem too. No mention of money after you leave usually means you don't get it.
The American Dental Association uses one crown to show this. Billed $1,500. Insurance allows $1,000. The practice collects $950.
Your deal You earn on that crown
--- ---
35% of collections $227.50
35% of adjusted production $350.00
30% of total production $450.00
These are teaching numbers, not typical ones. **Try it yourself:** ask the owner to work out your pay on 3 real cases, then do it on your own. If you get different answers, the clause isn't finished.
Made up numbers to show how it works. Your floor is $10,000 a month. You earn $7,000 in each of your first 2 months, so the practice tops you up $6,000.
The word to look for is **recoverable.** If it's there, your first busy months pay back your first slow ones.
A limit measured from your office is 1 circle. The same miles measured from every office a group owns can close off most of a city. Also check **how** it's measured. Straight line and driving distance can put the same practice inside or outside.
**Try it yourself:** put every office in a map app and draw the circles. It takes 10 minutes and it's the most useful picture you'll make.
Insurance often pays weeks after the work is done. If your contract doesn't give you your percentage of money that arrives after your last day, the practice keeps it. Before you leave, check what you're owed while you still have a login.
Use this on any clause you're not sure about.
Ask A good answer sounds like
--- ---
**When does it fire?** A clear event, like your last day
**What does it cost?** A number you can write down
**Who decides it fired?** A fact, like losing your license, not an opinion
If you can't fill a box, write the clause down and take it to your attorney as a specific question.
Red flag Green flag
--- ---
Non compete measured from offices you don't work at Measured from your office, method spelled out
They can end it without a reason, you can't Same notice and rights both ways
1099 for a general dentist on their schedule, staff and supplies Tax status matches the job, no fine clause
A pay formula nobody can work out You and the owner get the same answer
"You'll be busy" instead of a number They tell you what the last associate earned
Nothing about money after you leave Your share of late payments is written in
The free download covers all 7 clause families in order, plus:
Education only. Not legal, tax, accounting, insurance or financial advice. Whether any clause holds up or is fair depends on your state and your situation. As of 10 September 2026 the FTC says its non compete rule is not in effect, so state law decides.
Chairlink Guides are general educational and informational resources. They are not medical, dental, legal, financial, employment or other professional advice.
The Clauses That Cost You: What to Check in a Dental Associate Agreement on Chairlink