Dr. Cliff Degel, DDS
In March 2022, Dr. Degel joined 200 other dentists in Las Vegas to listen to founder Avi Weisfogel lay out the plan for Freedom Dental Partners.
Find a suitable successor to enable a transition out of clinical practice while maintaining autonomy
Freedom Dental Partners, Freedom Dental Mastermind, Rising Tide Platform (Founders Cohort)
A sense of rejuvenated passion for dentistry as the result of becoming an investor in practices and the founder of a dentist-owned and operated DSO.
Find a suitable successor to enable a transition out of clinical practice while maintaining autonomy.
That’s what caught the attention of Cliff Degel, a larger than life dentist with an entrepreneurial spirit. So when Dr. Degel heard of the ambitious plan for dentists to come together to form their own Autonomous DSO, where they could maintain their independence as clinicians while making dentistry more profitable and beneficial to all dentists, he was intrigued. This idea was in stark contrast to the messages he had been hearing up to that point from Corporate DSOs that essentially wanted to turn dentists into employees, a lifestyle that wouldn’t suit a person like Cliff Degel.
In March 2022, Dr. Degel joined 200 other dentists in Las Vegas to listen to founder Avi Weisfogel lay out the plan for Freedom Dental Partners. They hit all the right notes with Cliff—he was excited by the idea of putting dentistry in the hands of dentists so they are empowered to provide elevated clinical experiences for patients while helping reaping the maximum financial rewards. After discussing the decision with his wife, an accomplished dentist in her own right, he made the leap into membership.
When asked about his experience with Freedom Dental Partners over the past 18 months, Cliff Degel couldn’t be more pleased. “Anybody they’ve brought into this organization as members or as a consultant has been very, very impressive. That always put my mind at ease because it’s clear they know what they’re doing.” Dr. Degel has been front and center watching Avi and the entire Freedom Dental Partners team grow and execute on what they promised from the beginning. And the level of care they’re providing to FDP members along the way is remarkable.
“Compared to friends and other people that I know who have sold out to the corporate world, their experiences have been very negative. My partnership with Freedom Dental Partners has been completely opposite.”
I’m still in control. My staff is protected, which is very important to me. Some of them have been with me for 30 years. And now I get to compensate them with stock. It’s amazing.”
The answer is simple. “They love to listen to everybody. They respond to your ideas. It’s almost like a Think Tank. It’s not like that in the Corporate world. They tell you what to do. The dentist doesn’t have much say in anything.” Dr. Degel is pleased that he gets to approve what happens, and he’s grateful for the expert guidance along the way.
The Freedom Dental Partners team has worked with Dr. Degel to ensure his practices are running more efficiently. They provided guidance for tightening up operations and saving laboratory costs by 60%. The cost savings of supplies has been 25%, which floored Dr. Degel. Despite his efforts to carefully manage supplies and find the best deals, Freedom Dental Partners was able to get even better pricing on his behalf. As a result of these small changes his practice EBITDA increased significantly.
Originally, he and his wife figured the baton would pass to their daughter. However, that plan was thrown out the window when Covid hit and it became clear that sending her to dental school during that time wasn’t the right decision. Finding someone to fill his shoes wouldn’t be easy—Dr. Degel is a general dentist who places implants and performs full surgery. His patients represent a range of dental concerns, so he needed someone who could learn to handle the variety of cases he manages. Thanks to Freedom Dental Partners, he found someone who fit the bill and received guidance for creating an attractive package that benefits the Associate as well as Dr. Degel.
“If you care about how you’re going to exit and you want to make sure that you get the smoothest transition while getting the most money for your practice, Freedom Dental Partners is by far the way to go.”
Dr. Degel knows from experience that Freedom Dental Partners wants to do more than just help its members get a huge payday from the sale of their practices. Members are taught how to make money, keep money, and grow money in whichever way they desire. In addition to staff experts, members receive training from outside experts handpicked to deliver the most reliable financial and lifestyle optimization information to the group. Consequently, doctors learn which avenues are available to create their own version of Total Dental Freedom.
Cliff Degel decided to get the most out of his money by exploring the opportunities afforded to Freedom Dental Mastermind members, and he is enjoying the journey. “I’m all over that. I’ve invested over $1.7 million into Mastermind, and I’m looking at phenomenal returns with buying practices and rolling them into Freedom. Everybody I’ve met through the Mastermind has brought another opportunity to me or has taught me something new.” Dr. Degel’s experiences as a Mastermind member have far surpassed his expectations, and he’s thrilled.
Dr. Degel is 33 years into his career in dentistry feeling completely rejuvenated thanks to his journey with Freedom Dental Partners. Not only is his practice in incredible shape, it’s worth far more now than it was 18 months ago. He is also a stockholder and founder in the Rising Tide platform, a dentist-owned and operated DSO that he is actively growing with his co-founders. The next six months are going to be full of hard work to execute on all the plans for Rising Tide, but Dr. Degel is feeling excited about the process. He is grateful for the chance to have a hand in shaping the future of dentistry with the best and brightest in the field.
