Winning by Association: Why Most Associateships Fail—
and How Yours Won’t
A Presentation by Dr. Matt VanderMolen at the 20th Anniversary Sunrise Dental Solutions Summit – Sept. 18-20, 2025
Bringing on an associate can be the best decision you ever make—or one of your biggest regrets. In this refreshingly honest and practical session, we’ll break down what makes associate relationships succeed… or crash and burn. You’ll learn how to avoid the common traps that sink most associateships, and instead build a strong, productive associateship that benefits you, your associate, your team, your patients—and yes, your bottom line. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start winning by association, this one’s for you.
Learning Objectives:
- Clarify their true intention for hiring an associate—growth, time off, or income—and align expectations accordingly.
- Define the key responsibilities of an associate dentist that drive productivity, including diagnostic habits, leadership presence, and case communication.
- Outline the owner dentist’s role in onboarding and supporting the associate, including patient flow, team dynamics, and cultural integration.
- Establish a solid structure for compensation, training, and benefits that attract and retain high-performing associates.
- Avoid common pitfalls in the associate-owner relationship that lead to misalignment, poor production, or early departures.
Speaker Biography
Dr. VanderMolen received his doctorate of dental surgery from the University of Illinois. He then completed a hospital and advanced dental residency at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He was rated as the top Navy dentist in Europe and earned the Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance of duty. He completed his Naval service as a Lieutenant Commander in Pensacola, Florida.
Dr. VanderMolen recently retired from clinical practice in Springfield, IL, where he had a team of 30 including two associate doctors. . He is a self-proclaimed “dental nerd,” and has always been passionate about being of service to his patients, to his team, to his community, and to other dentists.
Dr. VanderMolen is a best-selling author about winning, and he is a dedicated student of successful culture and leadership principles. He is the host of The Dental Master Series podcast.
Dr. VanderMolen believes our purpose in life is to become the best version of ourselves while helping others to do the same. As a Sunrise Dental Solutions Coach, Dr. VanderMolen has coached many good dentists to become great dentists, and he has coached great dentists to become exceptional since 2011.