What is my dental practice worth?

Dentistry is one of the most actively consolidated healthcare verticals, and that demand supports valuations above most small businesses. Established, professionally managed practices are valued on EBITDA at roughly 4.5x-8.0x, while smaller single-dentist practices are usually valued on SDE (seller's discretionary earnings, which adds the owner-dentist's compensation back to profit) at about 2.5x-5.0x. A simple cross-check many buyers use is 60%-80% of trailing annual collections for a general practice, with specialty practices often higher.

Your placement in the range comes down to a few levers. A high share of recurring hygiene revenue, a loyal patient base that stays after the selling dentist leaves, a favorable in-network insurance mix, modern CAD/CAM and imaging equipment, and associates or staff who will remain all argue for the top of the range. Heavy dependence on the owner's personal production, an aging patient list, or deferred equipment upgrades pull the multiple down.

Who buys also moves the number. Dental service organizations (DSOs) and private-equity-backed groups generally pay EBITDA multiples and may structure 60%-80% cash at close with the remainder as equity rollover or an earnout, while an individual dentist buyer typically pays an SDE multiple with bank or SBA financing. DealSeam is not a traditional business broker; where there's a fit, it introduces owners to qualified buyers, and because the buyer pays the success fee, sellers pay nothing.