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.
Demand is the backdrop to those multiples. Dentistry is consolidating into dental support organizations: 16.1% of US dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2024 — double the 2017 rate (ADA Health Policy Institute) — roughly 130 PE-backed DSOs are operating, and dental logged 120+ private-equity add-on acquisitions in 2024, the most of any healthcare-services category (Lincoln International). The largest acquirers include Heartland Dental (KKR), Aspen Dental (Leonard Green + Ares), MB2 Dental (Charlesbank + Warburg Pincus), and Smile Brands (Gryphon); DealSeam's dental roll-up tracker lists the active platforms by name, each with a source.
Who buys also moves the number. Dental service organizations (DSOs) and private-equity-backed groups generally pay EBITDA multiples, with deals commonly structured at roughly 80%-90% cash at close and the remaining 10%-15% as a seller note or rolled equity, 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.
Related questions
What multiple do dental practices sell for?
Established, professionally managed dental practices typically sell for about 4.5x-8.0x EBITDA. Smaller single-dentist practices are usually valued on SDE at roughly 2.5x-5.0x.
How is a dental practice valued as a percent of collections?
General practices are commonly benchmarked at about 60%-80% of trailing annual collections, with specialty practices often higher. It is a quick cross-check, not a replacement for an earnings-based valuation.
What makes a dental practice sell for more?
Recurring hygiene revenue, a transferable patient base, a favorable insurance mix, modern equipment, and low dependence on the selling dentist's personal production all push the multiple toward the high end.
Do DSOs pay more than individual dentist buyers?
Often, yes. DSOs and PE-backed groups generally pay on an EBITDA basis and can pay a premium for scale, but they may structure part of the price as equity rollover or earnout rather than all cash.
How consolidated is dentistry?
16.1% of US dentists were affiliated with a dental support organization in 2024, double the 2017 rate, and more than 25% of dentists within a decade of dental school are DSO-affiliated (ADA Health Policy Institute). Roughly 130 PE-backed DSOs operate, and dental logged 120+ PE add-on acquisitions in 2024 (Lincoln International).
Sources & methodology
- •DealSeam EBITDA Multiples by Industry
- •DealSeam Dental Practice Valuation & Buyer Guide
- •DealSeam Dental DSO & PE Roll-Up Tracker (ADA Health Policy Institute; Lincoln International)
- •DealSeam Business Valuation Guide
This is general educational information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Consult a qualified CPA and M&A attorney about your specific situation.
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