Starting in this issue, JCO will report, in a series of three articles, the most important and interesting results of the 2001 JCO Orthodontic Practice Study. The complete tables will be available in book form early next year.
This is our 11th biennial survey of the economics and administration procedures of U.S. orthodontic practices. In tracking the salient features of specialty practices, the Study makes available to orthodontists an in-depth view of how the average practice is managed and details of economic results in terms of fees, case starts, gross income, expenses, and net income.
Trends that can be detected from the Practice Study figures, from 1981 to date, are reported in the first article. The second article will use the data to suggest some of the reasons for the superior performance of high-income practices. The third article will report on practice growth and the prospects for the future.
In reporting all these results, we recognize the invaluable contribution of those orthodontists who took the time and trouble to respond to our questionnaire. As in the past, their combined effort appears to provide a reliable picture of current orthodontic practice.
Similar articles from the archive:
- THE EDITOR'S CORNER The 1999 JCO Orthodontic Practice Study October 1999
- THE EDITOR'S CORNER Everything's Coming Up Roses October 1997
- THE EDITOR'S CORNER Don't Rest on Your Laurels October 1995
Apart from making interesting reading, the Practice Study articles and book provide a guide for upgrading practice management and performance. Not everyone can be in the upper third of the class economically, but there are many clear indications in these data of how one can strive to get there.
ELG