Career guide · Types of clinics and models
New clinic or taken-over clinic: what it changes for the team
A new clinic and a clinic changing hands are two very different moments of transition. Here is what they mean for current employees and for those applying.
What is a clinic takeover?
The purchase of an existing clinic by a new dentist or a group, with its clientele, team and equipment. For employees, employment generally continues (seniority is protected by labour standards when a business is sold), but management, schedules and culture may change.
Are my conditions protected during a sale?
Yes: the Act respecting labour standards provides that the transfer of a business does not interrupt continuous service; your vacation, seniority and rights continue with the new owner. A written contract with the buyer clarifies the rest (pay, schedule, benefits).
Which changes often follow a takeover?
New software and protocols, equipment investments, schedule adjustments (sometimes extension to evenings and weekends), new management, sometimes departures and arrivals in the team. A well-managed takeover improves the clinic; an abrupt one drives the team away.
And a new clinic?
No legacy: new equipment, protocols to establish, a team to build, a culture to create, a ramp-up to finance. In a banner, the formula and part of the team come from an existing clinic, which reduces uncertainty. See New or established clinic.
Where is job security better?
In a solid banner’s new clinic, hours are guaranteed in writing and market growth supports the agenda; in a takeover, the clientele is there but the transition can create instability. In both cases, the owner’s financial strength and vision matter more than the model.
How should you behave as an employee during a takeover?
Stay professional, document your current conditions, ask for a meeting with the buyer, ask questions about planned changes and give the new project a chance before deciding. Many takeovers are excellent news for teams.
What should you ask if applying to a taken-over clinic?
Why the purchase, what changes, how many employees stayed, which investments are planned, who manages day to day and what the vision is. A buyer with a clear plan who respects the existing team is a good sign.
What should you ask if applying to a new clinic?
Guaranteed hours, launch plan (expected patients, marketing), dentists in place, operations management, pre-opening training, and which existing clinic the formula is borrowed from. Vaudreuil-Dorion is now open, with Valleyfield’s team and formula.
Does a banner take over clinics?
Some do in partnership with the selling dentist: they sell part of their clinic, secure pre-retirement and keep practising, the team stays, the banner brings management and investment. This model is described on Become a Go Dentiste owner.
How do you choose between the two?
According to your tolerance for uncertainty and your goals: build (new) or consolidate (takeover). In both cases, look for present management, written commitments and a respected team. See positions at Go Dentiste.
Go further
- New clinic or established clinic
- Become a Go Dentiste owner
- Dental career guide: the 1,000 questions
- All positions at Go Dentiste
Sources and references
- CNESST — Labour standards in Quebec (brochure)
- Canadian Dental Association — Career options: key questions on associateships
Content prepared by the Go Dentiste team (Dr Dominic Morel-Maynard, general dentist and owner). Last updated: September 25, 2026. General information for guidance only: only an in-clinic exam can establish a diagnosis and a treatment plan suited to your situation.