Most dentists believe they’re smart businesspeople. After all, they built a thriving practice, hired staff, survived insurance nightmares, and somehow managed to stay profitable.

But when it comes time to sell that practice—the single biggest financial transaction of their entire life—many of these “smart” businesspeople suddenly turn into amateurs.

And amateurs pay dearly.

I’m not talking about a few thousand dollars. I’m talking about dentists losing millions. One bad move, one naive assumption, one lazy shortcut… and poof—$2 million disappears off the table.

That’s not hyperbole. That’s the reality I see every single day.

Mistake #1: Believing the First Offer Is “Fair”

When the DSO or private equity rep slides that contract across the table, it looks official. It looks polished. It looks final.

But here’s the brutal truth: that first offer is designed to take advantage of your ignorance.

They know you don’t speak their language. They know EBITDA sounds like alphabet soup to you. They know you’ve never sold a $10, $20, or $30 million asset before.

So they anchor you low. And most dentists smile, nod, and accept—thinking they’ve done well. Meanwhile, they just flushed seven figures down the drain.

Mistake #2: Thinking EBITDA Is Just a Buzzword

Dentists love to brag about collections. “My practice collects $3 million a year!”

So what?

Collections don’t matter. EBITDA does. That’s what buyers care about. That’s what determines your multiple. That’s what decides whether you’re walking away with $4 million—or $6 million.

Here’s the gut punch: most dentists don’t even know their true EBITDA. Their books are sloppy. Their overhead is bloated. Their associate agreements are a mess.

And every single inefficiency becomes a weapon the buyer uses to slash your valuation.

Mistake #3: Selling Too Late

Dentists wait until they’re burned out, sick, or desperate to sell.

Bad idea.

By then, production has slipped. Hygiene is underbooked. Staff turnover has gutted efficiency. Suddenly, your once-golden practice looks tarnished.

DSOs don’t pay top dollar for decline. They pay top dollar for growth, momentum, and clean numbers.

Sell when things are strong, and you cash out like a king. Wait until things crumble, and you’ll crawl to the finish line broke and bitter.

Mistake #4: Believing You Can “Do It Yourself”

This is where dentists really shoot themselves in the foot.

They think: “I negotiated with Delta Dental, I negotiated a lease, I can negotiate a sale.”

Wrong.

Selling your practice isn’t like signing a new lease or haggling over fees. It’s a high-stakes chess match against professionals who do this every day. You’re not just outgunned—you’re playing the wrong game entirely.

And let me be crystal clear: the buyer is not your friend. They’re not your partner. They’re not “looking out for you.” They are laser-focused on one thing: paying as little as possible.

Without the right advisor, you are the wounded antelope limping into the lion’s den.

Mistake #5: Thinking a Sale Ends at the Check

The biggest misunderstanding of all? Believing the sale ends when the wire hits your bank account.

Wrong again.

The structure of your deal—the earn-outs, the equity rollovers, the work-back agreements—can either double your payday… or gut it.

I’ve seen dentists “celebrate” a sale, only to realize months later they’ve signed away five years of their life under crushing terms. They traded freedom for golden handcuffs.

That’s not a sale. That’s a prison sentence.

Every dentist says they don’t want to leave money on the table. But without the right strategy, without the right preparation, without the right advisor—they do it anyway.

They don’t lose a little. They lose a lot.

Two million dollars. Sometimes more.

That’s the cost of ignorance. That’s the cost of pride. That’s the cost of thinking you can wing it in the biggest financial transaction of your career.

Here’s the Truth No One Else Will Tell You

DSOs aren’t the problem. Private equity isn’t the problem.

The problem is you—walking into the negotiation blind, unprepared, and overconfident.

The buyers are professionals. They’re sharks. And if you swim with sharks while bleeding, you don’t survive.

But if you know the rules of the game… if you structure your practice the right way… if you negotiate from strength instead of weakness—you don’t just survive. You thrive.

You walk away with the payday you deserve.

What To Do Next

If you own a dental practice, the time to act is now—not when you’re tired, sick, or desperate.

Don’t let fear, laziness, or arrogance cost you millions. Don’t make the $2 million mistake.

You’ve worked your whole life to build this asset. Don’t give it away at a discount.

Get the facts. Get the strategy. Get the payday.

Your practice is worth more than you think—if you know how to play the game.

To your unstoppable success,
Your Team at Everything DSO