HOF jobs: employee, commission, rented room, or own clinic
Anyone looking for a job in orofacial harmonization (HOF) soon realizes that "job" can mean very different things: a formal employment contract, a partnership in which the clinic keeps part of what you bill, a room rented by the shift, or opening your own practice. Each model changes income, risk, autonomy, and responsibility.
This guide compares the four models, shows the questions worth asking before you accept, and lists contract precautions. It does not name job platforms or market values. To estimate how much each model earns, see how much people working in HOF earn. The legal references on this page are those of Brazil.
What are the work models in HOF?
| Model | What it is | Who provides facilities and product | How you get paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee (CLT) | Job with a formal employment contract | The clinic | Salary, with or without a variable part |
| Commission (partnership) | Independent work at someone else's clinic | Usually the clinic, but it varies | Percentage of the service |
| Rented room | You use the room by the shift or by the hour | The clinic provides the room; the product is usually yours | Your revenue, minus the rent |
| Own clinic | You open and run your own practice | You | Result of the operation |
Hybrids exist: a rented room with a minimum fee plus a percentage, or commission with a fixed amount. What matters is understanding, on paper, who pays for what.
What are the pros and cons of each?
| Model | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Employee (CLT) | Predictability, benefits, learning alongside a team | Lower earnings ceiling, little autonomy over schedule and price |
| Commission | Low investment, entry into an existing patient base | Calculation base and deadlines can be confusing, dependence on the clinic |
| Rented room | Higher margin per visit, clinical autonomy | You take on product, patient acquisition, unpaid bills, and idle time |
| Own clinic | Full control and the highest potential | Fixed costs, management, staff, licenses, risk |
No model is better in the abstract. Someone just starting out without a patient base usually gains time with a lower-risk model. Someone with a full schedule may earn more with their own facility. The decision depends on how much risk you can bear and how much capital and management time you have.
What should you look at in an employee (CLT) job?
- Job description. Clinical care, HOF care, and administrative and sales activities must be written down.
- Hours and pay. Salary, variable pay, targets, and how the targets are measured.
- Responsibilities. Who answers for what in case of a complication.
- Training. Whether there is supervision and mentoring for someone who is starting out.
- Use of images and data. Do patient photos belong to the clinic or to the professional? See consent and LGPD for photos.
Very aggressive sales targets can conflict with clinical indication. The decision to recommend a procedure is yours and should follow the assessment, not the target.
What should you look at in a commission partnership?
This is where most of the doubts and conflicts lie. Ask and record:
- Calculation base. Is the commission applied to the gross amount, to what was actually received, or to the amount after deducting product, taxes, and fees? The difference is large.
- Who supplies the product and who bears the losses.
- Who brings in the patients and who owns the relationship with them.
- Payment deadline and method. When the payout happens and how it is documented.
- Installments and unpaid bills. If the patient pays in installments or does not pay, who absorbs it?
- Touch-ups and complications. Who handles them, who pays for the material and the time.
- Patient record and images. Where they are kept, who has access, and what happens when the partnership ends. See patient record.
- Exclusivity and non-compete. Whether they exist, for how long, and how broad they are.
- Technical manager. Who it is, where they are registered, and how you work with them.
- Termination. Notice period and what happens to treatments in progress.
Hypothetical example: a clinic offers a 30% commission. If the base is the gross amount charged to the patient, on a R$ 1,500.00 visit you receive R$ 450.00. If the base is the amount after deducting R$ 500.00 for product, R$ 150.00 for taxes, and R$ 60.00 for card fees, the base is R$ 790.00 and the commission is R$ 237.00. The same percentage produces very different amounts. The numbers are fictional and only show how much the calculation base matters.
Watch out for the employment relationship
A "partnership" that in practice has fixed hours, direct orders, exclusivity, and subordination can be interpreted as an employment relationship, which is a risk for both parties. The reverse also holds: a formal job with full autonomy and no subordination may not reflect reality. The right form depends on the facts of the relationship. Before signing any contract, talk to a labor lawyer. This text is not legal advice.
What should you look at in a rented room?
- What it costs and what it includes. Equipment, consumables, reception, sterilization, cleaning, laundry, parking.
- How you are charged. By the hour, by the shift, by percentage, or a fixed monthly fee.
- Licenses and technical manager. Does the facility have a valid business permit and health license? Who is the technical manager?
- Storage. Where the product is kept and under what conditions.
- Idle-time risk. If the rent is fixed, you pay even without patients.
- Image and brand. Can you advertise the location? How do the sign and the name appear?
A rented room gives autonomy, but your technical and ethical responsibility remains complete. Use the average ticket and monthly goal calculator to find out how many visits you need per month to cover the rent and still have something left over.
And your own clinic?
Opening your own practice gives you control over price, schedule, staff, environment, and communication, but it brings a set of obligations: CNPJ (Brazil's business registration number), tax classification, business permit, health license, technical manager, waste disposal, and clinical documentation. See CNAE for an orofacial harmonization clinic to understand the first step of the registration.
If you operate as an individual or as a company, the tax difference can be large. The Simples Nacional vs. individual calculator helps compare scenarios, and your accountant should confirm the appropriate classification.
Interview questions
| Topic | Question |
|---|---|
| Procedures | Which procedures do you expect me to perform? |
| Product | Who buys it and who pays for losses? |
| Patients | Who brings them in and who owns the relationship? |
| Payment | What is the base, the deadline, and the proof? |
| Safety | What is the complication routine and who is the technical manager? |
| Documentation | Where are the patient record, consent, and images kept? |
| Advertising | What can and can't I advertise about my work? |
| Exit | How does termination work and what happens to treatments in progress? |
What are the warning signs?
- A promise of high, fast income, without showing the math.
- A fee to "secure the spot" or an obligation to buy a course or product as a condition.
- A verbal contract or one with vague clauses.
- Pressure for sales targets that conflict with clinical indication.
- No technical manager, business permit, or health license.
- A demand to advertise a procedure or result beyond what the council allows. See what you can advertise.
- Use of patient photos without an image use release.
Checklist before accepting
- Is the work model clear and in writing?
- Does the pay calculation base come with a numerical example?
- Do I know who supplies the product and who bears losses and unpaid bills?
- Does the clinic have a technical manager, a business permit, and a health license?
- Did I check my council's rules for the procedures I will perform?
- Did I understand the exclusivity, non-compete, and image clauses?
- Do I know where the patient record and the informed consent are kept?
- Did a lawyer review the contract?
- Did I run the numbers with the schedule in a pessimistic scenario?
A good HOF job is one in which pay, responsibility, and autonomy are written down and fit your reality. Changing models over the course of a career is normal, as long as each step is taken with a clear contract and the numbers run.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a dentist job opening in facial harmonization?
Opportunities usually come from referrals by colleagues and professors, from clinics that need to expand their schedule, from partnerships with practices, and from professional networks. In any case, ask for the terms in writing before accepting and confirm in your council's rules what your training allows.
What is the difference between an employee (CLT) job and a commission partnership in HOF?
With CLT (Brazil's formal employment regime) there is an employment relationship, a salary, and labor rights; in a partnership, the professional works independently and receives a percentage of the service. The right form depends on the reality of the relationship, and a labor lawyer should review the arrangement before you sign.
Is it worth renting a room to see HOF patients?
It can be worth it for someone who already has some patient base and wants a higher margin, because you pay for the use of the facility and keep the rest. The risk is idle time and the cost of product, marketing, and unpaid bills, which become yours.
What should I ask in an interview for an HOF job?
Ask who supplies the product, who brings in patients, what the commission is based on, when and how payment is made, who the technical manager is, what the routine is for complications, and who owns the patient record and the images.
Can I work at two clinics at the same time?
In general, yes, as long as the contract does not require exclusivity and you comply with your council's rules. Check the exclusivity, non-compete, and image-use clauses before signing.