Our Blog - Everything DSO

Doctor, When dentists talk about exiting their practice, the conversation usually starts with numbers. Sale price. Multiple. Net proceeds. Taxes. That makes sense, you’ve spent years building something valuable, and you want to know what it’s worth. But what often gets overlooked is the part that matters just as much, sometimes more: What does your life look like the day after the sale? Because selling...

Doctor, There’s a moment I see all the time when I walk through a practice with an owner. We’ll be talking about growth, margins, stress, or the feeling that things should be better than they are, and I’ll point to something small. A handoff. A habit. A step in the day that feels… unnecessary. And the response is almost always the same. “Oh yeah. That’s just how we do it.” That phrase is one of the...

Doctor, When a DSO looks at a practice they’re thinking about acquiring, they’re not asking the same questions you are. And that difference, more than price, more than timing, more than even experience, is what separates acquisitions that compound from acquisitions that quietly drain energy and momentum. Most dentists walk into a potential acquisition with a familiar mindset. You notice the dentistry....

Doctor, Most dentists think they understand hygiene because they see it every day. Chairs are full. Schedules are booked out. The department feels busy, steady, and reliable. From the surface, it looks like hygiene is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do. But hygiene doesn’t just maintain the practice. It quietly controls how fast the practice can grow. And when the growth numbers don’t move the...

Doctor, I hear this a lot, usually said with a mix of pride and exhaustion: “We’re maxed out.” The schedule is full. You’re booked weeks ahead. From the inside, it feels like there’s simply nowhere left to go. And yet… the growth you expected hasn’t shown up. That disconnect is frustrating. You’re working harder than ever, but the numbers aren’t breaking free the way you thought they would. Revenue...

Doctor, One of the most common phrases I hear from dentists who are thinking about acquiring another practice is, “This place has real potential.” And I always pause when I hear that. Not because they’re wrong. Most practices do have potential. But potential is not what builds smart growth. And it’s definitely not what DSOs are buying when they acquire practices. Potential is exciting. It’s energizing....

Dear Reader, One of the things I notice every January is how many dentists talk about growth as if it’s entirely a matter of effort or intention. “We’re going to grow this year.” “We’re going to push production.” “We’re aiming for a record Q2.” And I love the optimism. I love the drive. But there’s something most dentists don’t see until someone points it out: You can’t grow past the walls that contain...

Dear Reader, The things you’re most proud of in your practice are rarely the things a buyer pays attention to first. In fact, buyers often look right past your favorite accomplishments and head straight toward parts of the practice you haven’t thought about in months, sometimes years. And it’s not because your strengths don’t matter. They do. They’re just not the whole picture. When a buyer steps...

Dear Reader, Every January, I hear dentists talk about their goals for the new year: bigger cases, higher production, more new patients, better technology. And those are good things. They matter. But there’s one goal most dentists miss, even though it’s the one that will determine whether your practice actually grows in a meaningful, sustainable, transferable way. It’s this: Make the team the engine,...

Dear Reader, January has a strange way of sharpening your vision. Maybe it’s the clean slate, maybe it’s the end-of-year reports, maybe it’s just the psychological reset we all feel when the calendar rolls over, but this is the one month where small dips, slowdowns, and soft spots start to stand out. And here’s the truth most dentists don’t realize until they’re deep into an exit conversation: Practices...