On average, a dental practice owner in the U.S. makes $414,223 per year.
Now hold on, don’t leave just yet! As with other average numbers we’ve talked about, the answer without context isn’t really an answer at all. So let’s dig into this one. How much can a dental practice owner expect to make?
The average dental practice in the U.S. costs about $520K. But I don’t like national averages here, because it’s misleading for your specific situation and practice. There are just too many other factors in the mix. How many operatories does it have? How many doctors? Is it a specialty practice? What city is it in? Which neighborhood? And so on. You get the idea.
So let’s look at it a different way.
The average dental school grad in 2023 came out of school with a whopping $296,500 in student loan debt. Woof.
In one way, those loans are great! They got you into a great career with high earning potential. On the other hand, we don’t have to pretend that they’re not a huge drag. So how best to get rid of them?
A dental practice ought to look good, right? When someone drives past, they might notice the signage, the landscaping, the general look of the practice. Is it inviting? Is it dingy? These things matter!
But as a prospective buyer, you’re probably young enough to understand something instinctively: as much as the physical look of the practice matters, its online presence matters even more.
When buying a dental practice, you’re going to assemble a team to help you out. As I’ve said elsewhere, the most important member of your team is your dental-specific attorney. Next is your accountant. But there are others as well. A banker, a broker, equipment reps, insurance agents, and possibly some other consultants as well.
With so many people involved, which voices should you turn to first?
If you’ve been reading my stuff for a while, you know about the “80/20 rule” already. When looking for a practice to buy, spend 80% of your time networking with other dentists and 20% with brokers.
But I might call it the “79/19 rule,” which just isn’t as catchy. What I mean is that there are other methods for finding a practice, and while they’re usually not as reliably effective, I have seen plenty of cases where it worked out.
Dentists buying a practice often get caught up in the state of the equipment. But they shouldn’t, because that rarely matters to the purchase. Here’s why.
The dentist I was talking to argued that starting a practice makes more sense because (I’m paraphrasing here), “Tons of patients loyal to the seller will leave anyway, and I’ll have to build a patient base again. I might as well start from scratch.”
There’s wrong, and then there’s completely, totally wrong. This dentist was the latter.
I know many dentists share this fear, even if they’re not as adamant about it as the doctor in this story. And it’s not a crazy fear! But it is wrong.
“Am I buying what I think I’m buying?” If you’re going to spend hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of dollars buying a dental practice, you should be sure you’re getting the dream office that was advertised to you, and not what used car dealers call a “lemon.” That’s where Initial Due Diligence comes in.
Don’t negotiate simply to negotiate—negotiate to find a win-win. Protect yourself well with a dental specific, transitions-focused attorney and accountant, and you’ll be a lot happier both throughout the process and after you own the practice.
Brian Tomono is a 24-year dental lending veteran. He brings his experience to your deal to make sure you pay as little as possible to the banks. He assists doctors in negotiations and team building to achieve their dreams of practice ownership. Read more »
Brian Hanks is an author, advisor, accountant, and certified financial planner specializing in helping dentists buy a dental practice of their own. Brian developed his dental practice acquisition framework to help dentists navigate the complex and overwhelming process. Brian’s book, How to Buy a Dental Practice: Find, Analyze, Negotiate, and Purchase the Right Dental Practice for You, details the basic pitfalls that new dentists often make and lays out a roadmap for a successful acquisition. His consultancy, Dental Buyer Advocates, provides hands-on guidance and expertise for evaluating practices, performing due diligence, negotiating with sellers, closing on a practice, financing, transitioning a practice over from the seller’s management, and much more. Prior to founding Dental Buyer Advocates, Brian served as an accountant and Certified Financial Planner™ at two different dental CPA firms. He is a featured author for Dental Economics, AGD Impact, and DentalTown, and is also a speaker for the Seattle Study Club. Brian has a business management undergrad from BYU, a finance MBA from University of Michigan, and a CFP certification from Northwestern University. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife and four kids, and serves dentists nationwide. Read more »
Brian Hanks is involved in all deals with the team. Prior to starting Dental Buyer Advocates, he was an accountant and Certified Financial Planner™ at two different dental CPA firms. He will help guide you through the process of buying the right dental practice. Read more
Sapna Amin worked in a private practice as an associate and went on to become a private practice owner. She also has experience with merging practices with a DSO. She is dedicated to helping other buyers in acquire their dream practice like she did! Read more »
Tara Clarridge is the former business manager of an oral surgery practice that had multiple locations. She has over twenty years experience with everything from payroll to credentialing and is eager to answer any questions you may have. Read more »
Sam Sutton has been very involved in the dental world throughout her life, and will work closely with you to open up your practice. Prior to joining Dental Buyer Advocates, she was a Dental Hygienist and has seen how successful dental practices run. Read more »
Dana Fort practiced general dentistry as an owner while also starting and selling a business that sold products for babies. She has experience in both the selling and transitioning of dental practices as well as mergers and acquisitions. Read more »