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One of the biggest mistakes I see in dentistry is the assumption that practice value is mostly fixed. A doctor builds the practice, works hard for 20 or 30 years, and eventually the market simply decides what it is worth. But in reality, many of the factors that drive valuation can be improved dramatically long before a transition ever happens. I recently reviewed a situation involving a dentist who...

Dentistry is changing. I do not think there is much debate about that anymore. The business side of the profession today looks very different than it did even ten years ago, and I believe the pace of change will continue accelerating over the next decade. The question is no longer whether the industry is evolving. The real question is what those changes mean for practice owners moving forward. One...

One of the biggest misconceptions in dentistry right now is the belief that every practice will automatically attract strong buyers simply because dentistry itself remains a desirable industry. While it is true that DSOs and private equity groups continue pursuing acquisitions aggressively, the reality is that buyers have become far more selective than they were several years ago. And in 2026, some...

Not very long ago, many dental practice sales were fairly straightforward. A doctor decided it was time to transition, a broker listed the practice, buyers were contacted, and eventually a deal came together. In many cases, the process felt more relationship-driven and localized than highly sophisticated. But as DSOs and private equity groups became larger and more experienced, the entire transition...

If you have been watching the dental transition market over the last several years, you have probably noticed something interesting. The market is still active. Buyers are still acquiring practices. DSOs are still expanding. Private equity groups are still heavily involved in dentistry. But behind the scenes, the rules of the game have changed quite a bit from where they were just a few years ago. Back...

One of the hardest conversations in dentistry today is not about clinical care, staffing, or insurance headaches. It’s the moment a dentist discovers their practice may not be worth nearly what they thought it was. And unfortunately, that situation is becoming more common as buyers become more sophisticated and the market becomes more selective. For years, many practice owners naturally assumed value...

Not long ago, if you asked most dentists what determined the value of a practice, the answer was usually pretty simple. Collections, location, number of operatories, maybe equipment and goodwill. For years, that was largely how many practices were evaluated. But in today’s environment, especially with DSOs and private equity groups aggressively competing for the right opportunities, the conversation...

  Most dentists still think dental practices are valued the same way they were 10 or 15 years ago. A percentage of collections. Maybe adjusted a little for equipment, location, or goodwill. But quietly, over the last several years, the rules have changed in a very big way. Today, some dental practices are selling for numbers that honestly surprise even the doctors who own them. And it’s not happening...

Let’s rip the Band-Aid off: Nothing scares a buyer faster than a flatline. They can forgive ugly carpet. They can forgive outdated equipment. They can even forgive messy books. But if your production numbers have flatlined for the last 3 years? If they see no momentum, no marketing, no growth? They see a dying practice wearing makeup. Buyers Don’t Buy History They Buy Trajectory Buyers don’t...

Want to know what makes buyers sweat bullets? It’s not your locationIt’s not your technologyIt’s not even your staff It’s your numbers. Buyers don’t trust them. They’ve seen too many deals implode because the “healthy” practice they were promised turned out to be a house of cards propped up by sloppy bookkeeping, wishful thinking, and numbers no one could verify. They’re no longer just cautious....