DSOs are here to stay. They are spreading nationally, and many believe they will be the largest providers of dental services very soon. Why? The obvious reason is that dentistry can be very profitable and provide a steady return to investors. Why did it take so long for investors to jump into the business of […]

Dental transitions are very much like the PRACTICE of dentistry in that we all know that years of “practice” is usually the key to excellent dentistry. While we were all confident that we received great training in dental school, most of us realized that only years of practicing in one location was truly the yardstick […]

Recently, a retiring doctor perused the website of a large and trusted dental insurance company and found information relating to practice sales. Part of that information included letters for sellers to give to their staff to make sure the selling doctor would be in compliance with state labor law upon the close of sale. The […]

In the 20 years I have been involved in dental practice transitions, never has there been such a discrepancy in the interest of practices in the big cities as compared to the rural areas. Practices in small cities like Chico garner almost no attention, even after most of the town of Paradise had to move […]

Buying a Dental Practice? Consider Asking These Questions First. If you’ve decided to buy your own dental practice, there are some important questions you may want to consider asking the seller, once you’ve found a practice you’d like to purchase. It’s important to be prepared for what is ahead. Your best option is to surround […]

Be Sure to Ask These Six Questions When Considering Selling to a DSO In the first 25 years of our company’s history, dating back to 1993, 100 percent of our transitions were from one solo practitioner or partnership to another. For some buyers, this might have been their second, third, or even fourth office – […]

As a Dental Practice Broker, I meet with dozens of private practice owners each year who feel as if they are getting closer to selling their private dental practice. The point in their career and the reasons why vary. In some cases, this may be in the next three to five years or it may […]

Whether you’re buying or selling a dental practice, one of the most important initial documents is an Offer to Purchase (OTP).

Life is like a record album for those who remember what that actually is. It spins around and around, and once it gets to the end, it starts back at the beginning. Like the 70’s Rock Band, The Clash simply put it in the 1982 top 40 hit, “Should I Stay, or Should I Go”? […]

Hello Again, Our last article was dedicated to the basics of tax considerations in the practice transition process. As a quick refresher, the total sale price of a dental practice is typically allocated in some part to goodwill, equipment, and supplies. Each of which carries with it its own tax consequences for both the buyer […]

“Goldman Sachs raised its forecast for 2021 US gross-domestic product growth to 6.8% from 6.6%” 1 “Small Businesses Finally See Positive Outlook for Economic Recovery in 2021” 2 “The Economy Is Improving Faster Than Expected, the U.S. Budget Office Says” 3 U.S. Economy Is Expected to Reach Pre-Pandemic Peak by Mid-2021 4 We had the […]

This article by ADS member Earl Douglas will be featured in the October issue of Dental Entrepreneur. Boy, talk about being dealt a bad hand, and that’s definitely an understatement. Who could imagine that just as I’m finishing an eight year journey to becoming a licensed dentist that the country would experience the most dire […]

I would like to share some stories with you concerning a few of the transition disasters I have witnessed. Whether you are a potential seller or buyer, learning from them might help you avoid the same mistakes that some of your colleagues have made. We will start with my first dental practice sale. Almost 30 […]

One thing for certain in our industry, nobody could have foreseen the impact and chaos that COVID-19 caused all of us. But, with that said, and as the dust of the pandemic’s initial assault settles, a lot of practice owners are coming out of their quarantines with questions about what the market is for those […]

COVID-19 has all of us questioning how we move forward. Unfortunately, many will retreat into their safe zones when it comes to making a career choice or financial decision. From a strictly financial standing during times of economic prosperity or downturn, it is always better to own a practice than to be an associate in […]

Whether you are a first time practice owner or someone looking to expand, relocate or add an additional location, the options for financing today have never been more extensive. When it comes to the types of financing available for the purchase of a dental practice, the most common options are conventional banks, small business loans […]

“MILLENNIALS” are people born between 1980 and 2005.1(p3) They’ve grown up in a much different world than previous generations and are already showing some very interesting tendencies as they enter the workforce. I’ve been brokering dental practices for 28 years, and it was traditionally assumed that most young dentists would go into private practices for […]

After graduating from dental school, you’ll need to make a crucially important decision: What do you do next? Where do you want to practice dentistry, and what type of dental work do you want to be doing? This decision will affect you for the rest of your life. It is important to take time and […]

Over the past several months, WE HAVE HEARD A GREAT DEAL ABOUT CHANGE. Change in any aspect of our life often creates some level of stress. However, some of us actually look forward to change and view it as an opportunity. One thing that is an absolute certainty is that change will happen in all […]

After completing your formal training and saving money for a down payment, you might be excited to purchase your first practice and start advertising your services. For those who are moving to a new area after having worked in another practice, this is also an exciting time. However, because purchasing an existing dental practice involves […]

In my career of helping dentists acquire their practices, obtaining financing is one of the bigger tasks. In previous years, I was dealing with the commercial brick and mortar banks that you pass on the way to wherever you go.

ANY DENTIST LOOKING INTO COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE (CRE) for his or her dental practice should have the mentality of being “pro real estate.” In other words, you should not be afraid of real estate financing, market forces, and property management. If you are comfortable owning a home or rental property, you will most likely be successful […]

“If we think about it, nearly every notable purchase or sale we’ve been involved with during our lives has evoked a certain level of emotion. Whether it was the purchase of a toy as a child, or our first car or home as a newlywed, we often remember how we felt when the transaction occurred.” […]

There are many issues that have to be agreed upon in order to sell a dental practice. One of them is the transition period, which is the time from settlement to the time the seller leaves the practice. The purpose of this article is to address key points that should be considered in order for […]

If you ask a group of doctors the most important aspect of a practice transition, the majority will point to the purchase price. Too few doctors realize that the other terms of the sale have a dramatic financial impact on the final sales price. To achieve a successful transition, buyers and sellers must work out […]

While speaking with a lender who does dental transition financing, he mentioned the great rate of returns a lot of corporations get by purchasing dental practices. He said that buying the right practices, even at fair market value, would result in rates of return as high as 15-20%. That is an incredible return rate for […]

Some of the frequent statements or questions I hear from dentists these days are – “I wish I could just be a clinician and not worry about running the business,” “What is the value of my practice?” “When is the right time to sell my practice?” and “What options do I have to practice after […]

by Bill Avery, DDS, PhD As happens with most dental practice brokers, I frequently get calls from dentists who are considering bringing in an associate so they can eventually sell their practice to the associate and retire in a few years. For simplicity’s sake, I prefer the “sell and walk away” transition method where the seller […]

The buyer pool for dental practices changes daily. It is organic and it flows. In my practice transition world, every day dentists buy, sell, move, merge, partner, retire, or try something else. In my opinion, dentistry is the best entrepreneurial profession in modern medicine. Several times a week I speak with dentists who are entertaining […]

Baby boomers are perhaps the largest segment of full-time practicing dentists in the country today. Many are reaching a point where they need to decide how to transition out of their profession. We will briefly discuss some options during this important phase in your decision-making process. The goal is to arm you with 1,000 questions […]

Dental practice acquisitions and sales require the RIGHT STRATEGY WITH SENSIBLE GUIDELINES to result in a successful transition. It is important to find the ideal practice to purchase, and to know that the practice has a sufficient cash flow to provide a good living and to service debt. It is vital to ensure that the terms and conditions […]

Although opinions are divided on selling accounts receivable (A/R), a strong argument for “yes” is that it’s a good idea if both parties agree and the price is carefully evaluated. The reasons for transitioning the accounts receivable are related to supporting a seamless transition for the selling doctor, the buying doctor, and the patients. From the […]

If you’re planning to purchase a dental practice in the next year, now is your chance to be like the legendary billionaire investor Warren Buffett. As I wrote this, Buffett announced that his Berkshire Hathaway Company was investing $5 billion in Bank of America (NYSE: BAC). With a 2011 year-to-date loss per share of $.28, why would Buffett […]

We all know that DEATH AND TAXES are the only two certainties in life. We also know that when you sell a dental practice, chances are you are going to have to pay income taxes on the sale. What may come as a surprise is that the amount of taxes due can vary widely depending […]

PRACTICE TRANSITIONS often require buyers to deal with leased facilities and a host of unfamiliar issues. Stability is the name of the game in a transition, so leaving a practice in its current location is wise. This does not mean you’re stuck without options on the lease of the current facility. The seller has one important […]

If you’ve ever watched one of the popular trauma ER documentaries, you’ve probably thought, “I’m glad that wasn’t me!” After reading these actual practice purchase traumas, you may think, “I’M GLAD IT WASN’T ME.” FUTURE SALE DATE: A practice had $300K collections. Nearby, a young dentist agreed to buy the practice to merge it into […]

Dental practice sales are very difficult transactions. They typically involve a young buyer with limited experience in the world of business, and an older seller who has great concerns regarding the perpetuation of his or her legacy. To compound the problem, this is usually a once-in-a-career event for both parties, and neither party is very […]

In order to maintain the best possible relationship between buyer and seller during a practice sale, it’s important to have an intermediary or buffer such as a broker, attorney, or accountant to assist in the negotiation of the sale of the practice assets. Selling a dental practice usually requires some negotiation, and having this  intermediary […]

Not doing due diligence is not a good excuse for finding out poor decisions have been made. Too often, doctors interested in buying, selling, or transitioning a dental practice don’t look at all of the information they should to make correct decisions. My studies have shown that most doctors know what information they should obtain. […]

Before buying or selling a dental practice, great care and planning should be taken to consider the TAX CONSEQUENCES regarding the allocation of the sale price to the various assets involved in the transaction. Typically, the group of assets that would be sold between the selling party and buying party would include dental supplies, furniture, […]

The fear that existing staff will not stay with a new doctor after selling a dental practice is largely unwarranted in the majority of practice transitions. Although it could happen, it normally does not. Here’s why. When a new doctor buys an existing practice, the staff has two options: 1) Stay on (provided the new […]