Comparisons of solo practices and group practices

Abstract

This report of The Manpower Survey of Oral Surgery in 1974 showed that the type of practice, namely solo practice or group practice, had many effects on the characteristics of the practice of oral surgery. It affected significantly the number of offices an oral surgeon had. More oral surgeons in solo practice tended to have a single office than those in group practice. Oral surgeons over 35 years of age and in group practice tended, in general, to have a higher income than those in solo practice. There was a slight tendency for group practices to increase with the size of trade area served. Oral surgeons in group practices reported that they employed more full-time equivalent staff, but there were proportionately fewer full-time equivalent staff members per oral surgeon. Group practices tended to be located in metropolitan areas. Oral surgeons in group practice seemed to perform a larger number of surgical procedures than those in solo practice. They also seemed to spend more time in travel between home and place of work. More oral surgeons under 40 years of age in solo practice indicated that they planned to add an associate or partner in the next five years than those over 40 years of age or those in group practice.