Dental Diary Blog

The End of Non-Competes: What It Means for Your Dental Practice in 2025

Written by Precision In Practice | June 30, 2025

The End of Non-Competes

What It Means for Your Dental Practice in 2025

Spoiler: You can’t rely on contracts to keep your team anymore—so what’s the new strategy?

Hiring has already been tough for dental practices across the country. Now, it's about to get even more competitive.

In 2025, a major change is coming that will impact how dental practices hire, retain, and protect their teams: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is banning most non-compete agreements.

Yes, really.
And no—you can’t ignore it.

Here’s what this change means for you, why it matters more than ever to have strong systems in place, and how you can future-proof your practice before the rule takes effect.

From how to present treatment to how to clean an op, there’s a clear SOP in place. That consistency doesn’t just improve efficiency... it builds trust, reduces mistakes, and makes onboarding a breeze. 

 

What’s the FTC Rule?

In 2024, the FTC finalized a rule that bans non-compete clauses for most workers across all industries—including dental.

This rule is expected to go into effect in mid-to-late 2025 and will:

  • Nullify existing non-competes (except for certain senior executives)
  • Prohibit new non-competes going forward
  • Require written notice to employees that their non-competes are no longer enforceable

In short: you will no longer be able to prevent your team from leaving and working at (or opening) a nearby dental practice.

The most successful practices don’t do more, they do things better. They’ve built systems that support their people, processes that scale, and habits that protect their time and energy.

And the best part? You don’t need to start from scratch.
You just need the right tools, and the willingness to work on the business, not just in it.

 

Why Dental Practices Should Care

If you're a practice owner or consultant, you’ve likely used non-compete agreements to:

  • Protect your investment in training new hires
  • Prevent associates or hygienists from opening up shop next door
  • Discourage staff from jumping ship to competitors

With this new rule, you lose that layer of protection.
So what now?

Let’s walk through how this will change your approach to hiring and retention—and how to stay ahead of the curve.

What Changes for Dental Teams?

 

1. More Freedom = More Turnover (If You’re Not Prepared)

Employees—especially skilled, experienced ones—will have more freedom to leave and go where they feel most supported. If your systems, culture, or expectations are unclear, your team may look elsewhere.

The fix: Make your practice the place people want to stay by building strong culture and clear systems.

2. The Talent War Just Got Fiercer

With non-competes off the table, hiring competition will intensify. Dental offices and DSOs alike will be fighting for top talent—and candidates will know they have options.

The fix: Offer more than just a paycheck. Offer clarity, structure, and growth. That starts with onboarding and documented SOPs.

3. Retention Must Be Earned, Not Enforced

You won’t be able to hold someone to a contract—but you can hold onto them with clear communication, defined roles, and ongoing training that makes them feel valued and successful.

The fix: Build loyalty through leadership. People stay when they feel supported.

4. You’ll Need to Update Contracts & Policies

While non-competes are going away, certain non-solicitation and confidentiality clauses may still be enforceable—but they’ll need to be carefully crafted. Work with a dental-specific attorney to make sure you're compliant.

The fix: Review your employee agreements and have a plan to notify staff when the rule takes effect.

 

What Successful Practices Will Do Differently

Here’s how forward-thinking practices are preparing now:

  • Audit and update employee contracts in advance
  • Build SOPs that capture institutional knowledge—so when someone leaves, your systems don’t
  • Create onboarding processes that build loyalty from Day 1
  • Foster a culture of accountability and growth, not just task management
  • Empower team members with the tools and training to thrive

When you have systems, structure, and clarity in place, you’re not relying on fear or contracts to keep people—you’re giving them a reason to stay.

 

Final Thought

You can’t control labor laws.
But you can control how your practice operates from the inside out.

The end of non-compete agreements is a challenge—but also a huge opportunity. It's a chance to double down on culture, leadership, and systems that make your practice magnetic to the right people—and resilient no matter what changes come your way.


Need help building systems that retain great people (with or without a contract)?

👉 Schedule your 8-minute demo here.and let’s make your team stronger than ever—starting now.