A dental practice valuation gives you a clear, data-backed understanding of your practice’s worth, key value drivers, and actionable steps to maximize your outcome—whether you’re preparing to sell or just want to benchmark your performance.

Here’s what to expect from a valuation and learn about the dental practice sales process.

 

Every dental practice owner reaches a point where they ask the big question: “What is my dental practice worth?” Whether you’re planning to sell your dental practice in the next 12 months or simply want to understand where you stand today, a professional dental practice valuation is one of the smartest moves you can make.

At TUSK Practice Sales, we view a valuation not as a transaction, but as a turning point. It’s your opportunity to gain clarity, benchmark your performance, and start thinking strategically about your future. We’ll break down what to expect from the dental practice valuation process—and why what you learn along the way is just as important as the number at the end.

Why Get a Dental Practice Valuation?

A valuation is more than a number. It’s an introspective look at your practice’s health, potential, and marketability. Here’s what a professional valuation helps you understand:

• What your dental practice is worth in today’s market.
• What drives your practice value.
• How your practice fits into your exit timeline.

Think of it as a diagnostic tool. The earlier you run it, the more time you have to strengthen your position.

The Dental Practice Valuation Process: What to Expect

1. Connect with an Experienced Dental Advisor

Your dental practice valuation begins with a conversation. One of our senior advisors will connect with you to learn more about you and your practice. Gaining a clear understanding of your motivations, your path as a practice owner, and the unique attributes of your business ensures that the insights we provide are tailored, relevant, and aligned with what you’re truly seeking from the process. Whether you’re simply curious or actively considering a sale, this is a no-pressure dialogue to understand your needs.

2. Internal Analytics Team Runs the Numbers

Once we gather your financial and practice data, our in-house analytics team goes to work. We build a full financial picture of your practice, and ensuring we’re getting a bottom-up look into the practice. We also assess intangible factors like your reputation, patient base, scalability, and competitive landscape. All of these insights inform your practice’s true market value.

3. Delivery of the TUSK Val and Clear Next Steps

We deliver your dental practice valuation in a format that’s easy to understand. You’ll walk away with:

• A clear, data-backed valuation range
• A breakdown of key value drivers (and detractors)
• Industry benchmarks for comparison
• Exit planning recommendations based on your goals

If you’re ready to take the next step, we guide you through exactly what that looks like. If not, you now have a roadmap for maximizing value on your timeline.

What You’ll Learn From the Process

Owners often walk away from a valuation with more than just a number. They gain perspective on their business from a completely new vantage point. You’ll uncover how your practice performs compared to national benchmarks and peer groups. You’ll learn which areas of your business are driving value and which may be holding it back. Many doctors are surprised to discover that even small adjustments in staffing, payer mix, or collections efficiency can have a significant impact on their valuation.

The process also gives you insight into the DSO deal structures and timelines that might work best for your unique goals. It helps clarify whether you’re on the right track for a future sale, or if there are strategic moves you can make now to improve your outcome down the line. More than anything, you’ll walk away with clarity—about your current position, your long-term goals, and the steps needed to bridge the gap.

Is It Time to Value Your Practice?

You don’t need to be ready to sell to benefit from a valuation. In fact, some of the most valuable outcomes come when dentists start early.

At TUSK, we’ve worked with practice owners who came to us with DSO offers in hand, unsure whether they were worth taking. In one recent case, a client engaged us to perform a valuation after receiving an unsolicited offer from a DSO. Not only did the valuation reveal they were leaving money on the table, it also highlighted several key areas for improvement. By implementing a few strategic changes recommended by TUSK—focused on provider efficiency, overhead reduction, and growth initiatives—the client significantly strengthened their position. Just three months later, we went back to market and increased their original offer by 61%.

If you’ve received an unsolicited offer, a valuation can help you determine whether it reflects the true market value of your business or leaves money on the table. If you’re thinking about a sale in the next three to five years, a valuation gives you time to optimize your numbers and operations to boost your outcome. Even if you’re just curious, the insight you gain can help you run a more informed and efficient practice.

A valuation is especially timely if you’re starting to think seriously about retirement, considering a partnership, or experiencing a major shift in your associate structure or provider mix. Knowing your value now puts you in control of your future. And when it’s done right, it’s not just about preparing for a sale—it’s about empowering better business decisions every day.

Why Experience Matters

Valuing a dental practice isn’t a one-size-fits-all calculation. General dentistry and specialty dental practices all come with different business models, clinical structures, and market expectations. That’s why working with an experienced advisor who understands your specialty is critical.

At TUSK, every valuation is guided by professionals who not only know how to run the numbers because they’ve owned or operated a dental practice, but also understand how those numbers are viewed by the buyers who matter. Our team has deep expertise in dental M&A across all specialties, allowing us to deliver dental practice valuations that are not just accurate—but actionable. You deserve a partner who knows what buyers are looking for, what premiums are being paid, and how to position your practice in a competitive process. Anything less is leaving money on the table.

Start with a No-Cost, No-Obligation Valuation

At TUSK Practice Sales, we offer complimentary valuations to qualified dental practice owners across the country. Whether you’re in the early stages of planning or just want a second opinion, we’re here to help you get informed, get strategic, and get ready.