How it runs for dental practices
The controller models a new operatory, an associate hire or dropping a PPO network, prepares lender and practice-transition packages, supports your CPA at year-end, and holds a monthly call with the owner on overhead, plan mix and cash.
What are outsourced controller services?
Outsourced controller services provide the review layer that sits between bookkeeping and the owner: a senior accountant who checks the close, owns the accounting policies, tests the controls around cash and spending, and explains the financial statements. The controller does not do daily posting. They make sure what was posted is right and documented before anyone relies on it.
What we handle for dental practices
- Review each close for day-sheet tie-out, plan adjustments and deferred revenue
- Model an associate hire, a new operatory or leaving a PPO network before you decide
- Prepare lender, practice-purchase and transition financial packages
- Approve compensation calculations and own the close calendar
- Hold a monthly call with the owner on overhead, plan mix and cash
The KPI that matters here
Every close reviewed and signed off by the controller with a written summary of exceptions and decisions needed.
Dental compliance notes
HIPAA
Dental claims, EOBs and patient ledgers are protected health information. We sign a BAA, staff are HIPAA-trained, access to your practice-management system is role-limited with MFA, and the accounting file carries batch totals and claim numbers rather than patient names.
PPO and payer contracts
Each PPO agreement sets the fee schedule, what can be billed to the patient, coordination-of-benefits rules and how overpayments are returned. We record adjustments according to the contract and keep the fee schedules current so underpayments can be identified and refunds are handled the way the contract requires.
Patient credits and unclaimed property
Prepaid treatment that is not completed and insurance payments that arrive after the patient paid create credit balances. We age them monthly and prepare refunds for your approval, because unrefunded credits may become reportable unclaimed property under state law after a dormancy period.
Card data and patient financing
Our agents never take or store card numbers; patients pay through your terminal, portal or financing partner. Financing payouts from CareCredit, Sunbit or similar programs are reconciled net of the merchant discount, and promotional-plan terms are recorded so the cost of financing is visible.
Dental software we work in
- QuickBooks Online
- Gusto
- Bill.com
- Square
- Dentrix
- Open Dental
- Eaglesoft
- Dentrix Ascend
- All 50 platforms
More for dental practices
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Controller services in other industries
Frequently asked questions
When does a dental practice need a controller?
When the owner is weighing an associate, a new location, an equipment purchase or a network exit without a model, when a lender or a buyer wants reviewed monthly financials, or when compensation calculations keep causing disputes. The controller adds review and judgment on top of bookkeeping already in place, for far less than an employee.
Can the controller help decide whether to leave a PPO?
Yes. We pull production and adjustments for patients on that plan, calculate the fee recovered if the practice moves to office fees, and model outcomes for different patient-retention assumptions. The result is a range of revenue effects, not a single prediction. The decision, and any contractual notice requirements, are yours and your counsel's.
How does the controller support a practice purchase?
For a buyer, we review the seller's financials for revenue tied to collections, adjustments by plan, deferred and prepaid revenue, lab and supply ratios and add-backs. For a seller, we prepare reconciled statements and a normalization schedule. In both cases the valuation and terms belong to your broker and attorney; we make sure the numbers they rely on hold up.
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