We do not list businesses for sale. This page is for buyers: what dental practices actually sell for, what to check, how deals are financed, and where listings appear. Register below to hear when we publish new data for buyers.
- Sourced value range for your trade and state
- The buyer types most likely to call you
- 3 fixes that move your multiple + a PE-offer checklist
After purchase we email you a short questionnaire, then your brief as a PDF. 14-day money-back guarantee. TradeExit Guide is not a business broker or appraiser. Refund policy
The market at a glance
What dental practices sell for
| Deal size / buyer | Price or multiple | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Main Street sales, 2021-2025 (sold) | 1.6x-3.37x SDE (median 2.48x) | |
| Single practice sold to a DSO (add-on) | 5-8x EBITDA | FOCUS Investment Banking - Dental practice EBITDA multiples 2026 |
| DSO platform | 9-12x EBITDA | FOCUS Investment Banking - Dental practice EBITDA multiples 2026 |
| Private practice sale (dentist buyer) | 60-95% of collections, most 70-85% | DDSmatch - How to value a dental office before selling (2025-06) |
What to check before you make an offer
- Key metric: Collections, hygiene share of production, payer mix (fee-for-service vs PPO vs Medicaid), doctor production per day, active patient count
- Upside sign: A hygiene department producing roughly a quarter or more of total production with steady recall
- Upside sign: Fee-for-service or healthy PPO mix rather than heavy Medicaid or deep-discount plans
- Red flag: Production concentrated in the selling dentist, with no associate to carry patients
- Red flag: Heavy exposure to Medicaid or discounted plans that a buyer cannot renegotiate
- Red flag: Supply and lab cost creep eating the trailing-12-month margin
Transfer issues that can stop a closing
| Issue | What to know | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate practice of dentistry | Many states restrict who may own a dental practice. Texas, for example, treats owning or operating a dental office that employs dentists as the practice of dentistry, so DSOs use management-services structures while a dentist owns the clinical entity. | Texas Occupations Code 251.003 - practice of dentistry includes owning a dental office |
| DEA registration | Not transferable without DEA's written consent (21 CFR 1301.52). The buying dentist registers separately; controlled-substance inventory and records transfer under DEA procedures. | |
| Patient records | HIPAA treats the sale of a practice to another covered entity, and due diligence for it, as "health care operations," so records can be reviewed and transferred within the Privacy Rule's limits. | 45 CFR 164.501 - HIPAA definition of health care operations (eCFR) |
How buyers finance these deals
Most Main Street acquisitions are financed with an SBA 7(a) loan plus buyer equity, often with a seller note. Under SBA SOP 50 10 8 the buyer generally needs a 10% equity injection, a seller note can count toward it only if it is on full standby, and earn-outs are not allowed in SBA-financed changes of ownership. Model the note with the seller financing calculator.
Who you are competing with
For larger dental practices, you will often bid against organized acquirers - we document 11 of them, from primary sources, on who is buying dental businesses. Individual buyers usually win smaller deals where a platform would pay an add-on multiple.
Where dental practice listings appear
Buying dental businesses? Register your interest
Get notified when we publish new data on off-market dental businesses and acquirers. We do not list businesses for sale, and we cannot promise that any will become available to you.
Own a dental practice and thinking of selling?
See a sourced value range for your business in 60 seconds - no email needed.
- Sourced value range for your trade and state
- The buyer types most likely to call you
- 3 fixes that move your multiple + a PE-offer checklist
After purchase we email you a short questionnaire, then your brief as a PDF. 14-day money-back guarantee. TradeExit Guide is not a business broker or appraiser. Refund policy
Frequently asked questions
How much does a dental practice cost to buy?
BizBuySell’s median sale price for dental practices sold 2021-2025 was $350,000. Price depends mostly on documented earnings (SDE).
Can I use an SBA loan?
Usually yes for Main Street deals. Under SBA SOP 50 10 8, expect a 10% equity injection; a seller note can count toward it only on full standby, and earn-outs are not permitted in SBA change-of-ownership loans.
Do you have listings?
No. We do not list businesses or broker deals. Listings appear on marketplaces such as BizBuySell and through brokers; see our broker reviews.
Sources
- BizBuySell Valuation Benchmarks - Dental Practice (accessed 2026-09-23)
- BizBuySell - Business valuation multiples by industry (sold Q3 2021-Q2 2026) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- BizBuySell Insight Report data tables (FY2025 closed transactions by industry) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- FOCUS Investment Banking - Dental practice EBITDA multiples 2026 (accessed 2026-09-23)
- DDSmatch - How to value a dental office before selling (2025-06) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Dental Economics - How to know what your practice is really worth (2025-09) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Texas Occupations Code 251.003 - practice of dentistry includes owning a dental office (accessed 2026-09-23)
- 21 CFR 1301.52 - DEA registration transfer rules (eCFR) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- 45 CFR 164.501 - HIPAA definition of health care operations (eCFR) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- SBA SOP 50 10 8 key changes (Whiteford client alert) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- LRM Lender Consultants - SBA change of ownership under SOP 50 10 8.1 (accessed 2026-09-23)