Today is Mom & Pop Small Business Owners Day, and we’re taking a moment to talk about something we teach our students that really matters…
Respecting the dental office (and your future boss’s sanity)
Because behind every dental office—and every trade school like ours—is a small business owner who has invested everything to make it happen.
And when we say everything… we mean EVERYTHING.
Let’s talk real numbers:
• Starting a dental office can cost $350,000–$550,000+
• One operatory setup? $75,000–$125,000
• X-ray machines? Up to $150,000+
• Dental chairs? Around $10,000 EACH
• Equipment alone? Easily $100,000–$400,000+
And that’s BEFORE:
supplies
payroll
rent
software
and let’s be honest… coffee (non-negotiable, of course)
Now let’s bring it back to OUR world…
At Elite Dental Assisting Academy, we invest heavily so our students get real experience:
DXTTR simulation heads? $18,000 EACH
Tiny tubes of dental cement? About $85+
Instruments, trays, bur blocks…
Drop one = immediate emotional damage
So when we say:
Be careful
Stay organized
Respect the equipment
…it’s not us being “strict.”
It’s us teaching you something most people don’t realize until it’s too late:
Every single item in a dental office represents someone’s investment, risk, and hard work.
On Mom & Pop Small Business Owners Day, we celebrate the dentists, educators, and owners who built these spaces from the ground up—often with long hours, big loans, and a whole lot of courage.
And we make sure our students walk into their careers not just skilled…
…but respectful, aware, and truly valuable to any team they join.
And if you’re ready to step into a career where you’ll learn ALL of this (and more)…
