Best M&A Advisors for
Dental Practices in 2026

Best dental M&A advisors by fit

How to choose among these dental M&A advisors

These seven firms offer local brokerage, individual-buyer sales, DSO transactions, and partial-equity deals.

Practice size determines which firms will accept the engagement, while the intended buyer path determines the expertise you need. You can distinguish similar firms by comparing fees and listing terms, then assessing buyer reach and access to senior advisors.

First decide whether you want to leave completely or remain involved after the sale. Then decide whether an individual or institutional buyer better supports that goal.

Market context: DSO growth and delayed retirement

Dental practice sales reflect a long-term change in ownership. Private practice ownership fell to 73% in 2023, compared with 85% in 2005, according to ownership trend data cited by Compendium Live. The share of dentists who owned practices also declined to roughly 50% in 2024, compared with about 67% in 2005.

DSOs have expanded by giving owners another potential buyer beyond local dentists and independent investors. TUSK Practice Sales reported that 69% of surveyed DSOs expected to increase acquisition activity in 2026. DSO buyers often seek practices with established patients and enough clinical capacity to fit into a larger administrative platform.

Retirement patterns add a second source of deal activity. The American Dental Association Health Policy Institute reports that the average dentist retirement age reached 68.7 in 2024, compared with 64.7 in 2001. Longer careers can delay succession planning, and some owners reach retirement without an internal or local buyer.

You may therefore have several buyer paths when you decide to sell. A DSO may offer a higher headline valuation but require continued clinical work or defer part of the payment. An individual dentist may offer a cleaner transfer with more cash paid at closing and preserve the practice’s independent identity, although financing capacity and a limited local buyer pool can constrain the price.

These ownership and retirement trends have developed over decades, so dental consolidation does not depend on a single year’s deal market. Your choice of buyer will affect the deal economics and your responsibilities after closing.

How buyers value dental practices and structure deals

Buyer type determines which earnings measure carries the most weight. An individual dentist often values a practice using seller’s discretionary earnings, or SDE. SDE adds back the selling dentist’s full compensation because the buyer expects to perform the clinical work personally. McLerran & Associates reports that solo and two-doctor practices commonly trade around 4.0x to 6.5x SDE, though practice quality and financing capacity affect the final price.

DSOs usually value practices using adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA excludes financing and tax costs as well as depreciation and amortization. The adjusted figure replaces the owner’s compensation with the market cost of hiring another dentist and removes qualifying nonrecurring expenses. McLerran places the typical switch between SDE and adjusted EBITDA analysis around $750,000 to $1 million of adjusted earnings.

The earnings metric can change the apparent value of the same practice. McLerran gives an example of a practice with $3 million in collections that produces about $400,000 in SDE but only $200,000 in adjusted EBITDA after accounting for replacement dentist compensation. A 5.0x SDE offer and a 7.0x EBITDA offer therefore equal $2 million and $1.4 million, respectively. Compare multiples only after confirming the earnings measure behind each one.

Individual dentist sales usually provide a cleaner exit. The buyer often finances nearly all of the purchase price and pays the seller at closing, although a lender may require a seller note. These transactions rarely include rollover equity, which represents ownership the seller retains after closing. They also tend to avoid performance-based earnouts.

DSO offers often carry a higher stated valuation but defer part of the potential proceeds. McLerran reports that DSO structures commonly provide 70% to 90% in cash at closing, with the remaining 10% to 30% subject to an earnout or holdback. Larger private equity-backed deals may also ask the dentist to reinvest part of the sale proceeds as rollover equity in the DSO. That equity may gain or lose value when the platform later recapitalizes or sells.

A seller should compare guaranteed cash separately from contingent consideration. A higher headline price may depend on how long you keep working and how the practice performs after closing. A lower all-cash offer may provide less total value but allow a faster and more complete exit.

What to look for in a dental M&A advisor

Practice-size fit. Choose an advisor that regularly handles practices near your revenue and earnings level. Larger firms may impose minimums, while listing-based brokers may suit smaller dentist-to-dentist sales.

Dental specialization. A dental specialist may know DSO buyers and dental practice economics in more detail. A generalist M&A advisor may reach buyers outside dentistry and run a structured sale when you want to compare DSOs with private buyers.

Fee structure. Ask each advisor to explain all upfront and closing fees, including when each payment is due. A success-fee model limits upfront cost, but you should still compare the total fee and what happens if you end the engagement.

Geographic and buyer reach. National coverage can expand the buyer pool, while a local broker may understand regional demand and licensing requirements. Ask which advisor will contact buyers and how that advisor will protect confidentiality. Confirm whether the advisor represents only you or also represents the buyer.

Salt Creek Advisory

Salt Creek Advisory is the strongest choice for founder-owned or partner-owned dental and orthodontic practices that want direct principal involvement and no upfront retainer. Owners work with founders Jack and Connor Pitts throughout the sale process. Salt Creek does not hand the engagement to a junior advisor after the initial meeting.

Salt Creek charges its advisory fee only when a transaction closes. Standard engagements carry no upfront retainer or separate evaluation fee, which limits the owner’s out-of-pocket cost if a sale does not proceed. Owners should still review the engagement agreement closely because the final fee depends on transaction size and complexity.

Salt Creek applies a lower-middle-market sale process to practices whose owners are still comparing buyer paths. The firm can evaluate interest from a dental DSO alongside offers from private buyers or other dentists. Its process covers financial preparation and targeted buyer outreach. Salt Creek also helps owners compare deal structure, post-closing obligations, and closing certainty rather than focusing only on the headline price.

Typical client and size. Salt Creek generally serves established private companies with $2 million to $75 million in annual revenue and at least $500,000 of adjusted EBITDA. The firm works across several industries, including manufacturing and business services, so its dental work draws on broader experience with founder-led transactions.

Coverage and services. Based in Chicago, Salt Creek serves owners throughout the United States. Its sell-side work includes preliminary valuation, transaction preparation, offer evaluation, negotiation, and due diligence coordination. Jack and Connor also use proprietary technology to organize buyer research and outreach, while retaining direct control over financial analysis and negotiations.

Potential considerations. Salt Creek is not dental-exclusive and does not claim the dental transaction volume reported by TUSK Practice Sales, McLerran & Associates, or Large Practice Sales. A larger group seeking extensive dental transaction data or a specialized IDSO partnership may prefer one of those firms. Salt Creek offers a stronger fit for a smaller established practice whose owner values personal attention, broad buyer comparison, and a success-fee structure.

TUSK Practice Sales

TUSK Practice Sales works only with dental practices generating more than $1.5 million in annual revenue. That minimum makes TUSK a clear option for larger practices, but it excludes smaller solo and founder-owned offices.

TUSK advises practices in dentistry, dermatology, plastic surgery, aesthetics, and behavioral health nationwide. The firm charges no upfront fee or retainer and receives compensation only when a transaction closes. Its services cover valuation, buyer outreach, offer negotiation, quality of earnings support, and closing. TUSK reports a typical timeline of six to nine months.

Dental specialty experience gives TUSK a useful position among multi-specialty healthcare advisors. The firm reports more than $500 million in orthodontic transactions and four orthodontic buyer platforms. It also reports average endodontic closings at 9.0x EBITDA and more than $100 million in pediatric dental transactions. Owners should treat these figures as company-reported results rather than expected outcomes for any individual practice.

TUSK fits owners above its revenue floor who want healthcare M&A experience, national buyer coverage, and no upfront cost. Smaller practices that want a broader comparison of DSO offers and sales to individual dentists can consider an advisor focused on founder-owned lower-middle-market businesses.

McLerran & Associates

McLerran & Associates uses a published valuation methodology to compare what a DSO and an individual buyer may pay for the same practice. The dental-exclusive, CPA-led firm analyzes seller’s discretionary earnings for owner-operated practices and adjusted EBITDA for larger DSO transactions. McLerran reports an 85% to 90% completion rate based on its own transaction data.

Best fit.

Owners considering offers from both DSOs and individual dentists may benefit most from McLerran’s side-by-side analysis. Its published examples cover practices with roughly $1.5 million to $3 million in revenue, as well as larger groups that may qualify as private equity platforms with at least $3 million of EBITDA.

The firm serves general dentists and dental specialists nationwide. Its services include practice valuation, financial normalization, buyer outreach, negotiation, due diligence support, and closing coordination. McLerran says it has evaluated more than 10,000 practices and completed about 2,000 sales over roughly 35 years. You can review its approach on the McLerran & Associates website.

McLerran operates as a commission-based broker, although it does not publish its exact commission. Owners who want dental-specific valuation work may find that structure reasonable. Owners who prioritize a published no-upfront-retainer model can compare it with Salt Creek Advisory, which applies a lower-middle-market M&A process across industries.

Professional Transition Strategies

Professional Transition Strategies offers a 30-day listing agreement with no cancellation penalty. PTS contrasts that short commitment with the year-long agreements common among practice brokers, giving owners more flexibility if the relationship or sale process does not meet expectations.

PTS charges no upfront cost or retainer and collects a single broker fee. The firm does not publish its commission percentage, so owners should confirm the amount, payment trigger, excluded services, and termination terms before signing.

The national brokerage serves dental and medical practices without stating a minimum revenue threshold. Its listing-based model can suit solo and mid-size practice owners who want help finding buyers without committing to a larger M&A engagement. PTS represents sellers and buyers, and it also assists with practice real estate and lease matters.

An in-house team with CPA experience supports financial analysis and provides market comparisons. PTS also evaluates equipment and addresses property issues that can affect a transaction. The firm donates part of its broker fee to a nonprofit selected by the client.

Owners should compare PTS with a success-fee M&A advisory process when deciding between brokerage and broader buyer outreach. PTS offers flexible engagement terms and dental experience, but its unpublished fee and dual seller-buyer service model warrant specific questions about cost and representation.

Large Practice Sales

Large Practice Sales specializes in IDSO transactions, where a dental support organization buys 51% to 80% of a practice for cash. The dentist retains minority ownership, the practice brand, and some operating autonomy.

LPS best serves larger, higher-EBITDA practices and multi-location groups seeking a partial sale rather than a clean exit. The firm works exclusively with general dentists and dental specialists, including orthodontists, oral surgeons, pediatric dentists, periodontists, endodontists, and prosthodontists.

Its 30-plus-person team handles valuation, IDSO buyer outreach, negotiation, and closing support. LPS reports signing new clients across 29 states and says IDSOs do not pay the firm, although it does not publish its seller fee.

LPS earned inclusion because few advisors focus so narrowly on retained-ownership IDSO deals. However, a smaller owner selling for the first time may benefit more from an advisor that compares DSO offers with sales to individual dentists without presuming a partial-sale structure. Owners considering those alternatives can review Salt Creek Advisory before choosing a transaction path.

ADS Transitions

ADS Transitions combines a national dental brokerage brand with local, independently operated affiliates. A regional broker typically manages the engagement, while the broader network supports buyer outreach and practice marketing.

The firm serves dental practice buyers and sellers across the United States. Its flexible brokerage model can accommodate solo practices and larger offices, and ADS does not publish a minimum revenue threshold. Seller services include practice valuation, buyer matching, DSO transition assessments, and support with sale negotiations.

ADS places particular emphasis on retirement and succession planning. The firm offers an EBITDA calculator and retirement resources for dentists, which can help owners begin planning before they formally bring a dental practice to market. Its local relationships may also help when another dentist represents the most likely buyer.

Service quality, personal attention, fees, and transaction experience may vary because each regional affiliate operates independently. ADS does not publish a network-wide fee schedule, so you should ask the assigned broker about commission rates, upfront charges, exclusivity, and cancellation rights. You can also compare those terms with a no-upfront-retainer advisory model before signing an engagement.

ADS belongs on this list for owners who value local dental-market knowledge but still want access to a national brand and buyer network. Its retirement focus makes it especially relevant for dentists without an internal successor.

Henry Schein Dental Practice Transitions

Henry Schein Dental Practice Transitions pairs national reach and strong dental-industry recognition with the resources of a major dental supplier. Its brokerage arm supports dental practice sales across the United States, although Henry Schein does not publish a minimum practice size or typical transaction value.

Best fit. The service may suit dentists who already know Henry Schein and prefer working with a large incumbent during a practice transition. Its focus remains dental, and the parent company’s national network provides broad market access.

Services and fees. Henry Schein provides dental practice brokerage and transition support. Public information does not clearly disclose its fee structure, so owners should confirm any commission, valuation fee, or upfront charge before signing an engagement.

Henry Schein also sells equipment and supplies to dental practices and DSOs. Owners should ask how the brokerage manages potential conflicts created by those commercial relationships, including whether any buyer relationships could influence outreach. Dentists who prefer an independent advisor can compare the model with Salt Creek Advisory, while owners who value Henry Schein’s established dental presence may find its brokerage a practical option.

Comparison table

Which path fits your situation?

Solo or founder-owned practices. Salt Creek is the best choice for established owners who want direct principal involvement and no upfront retainer. Professional Transition Strategies may suit sellers who prefer a short listing agreement, while ADS Transitions offers access to regional brokers through a national network.

Practices with more than $1.5 million and up to $3 million in revenue. TUSK becomes an option once revenue exceeds its stated $1.5 million minimum. McLerran may suit owners who want dental-specific analysis comparing DSO and individual-buyer values. Salt Creek is the strongest fit here when personal attention and a broader lower-middle-market sale process carry more weight than dental specialization.

Larger or multi-location groups. Large Practice Sales focuses on IDSO transactions that let qualifying owners sell a controlling stake while retaining minority ownership and their practice brand. TUSK and McLerran also serve larger practices seeking a competitive DSO process.

Your preferred exit should guide your choice of advisor. A DSO may offer a higher headline value, but the deal can require continued clinical work and expose part of the proceeds to an earnout or rollover equity. A sale to another dentist usually supports a cleaner exit with more cash paid at closing, although the valuation may be lower.

Owners who want continued operating autonomy may consider an IDSO or another partial-sale structure. Owners who want to retire soon should favor deals that provide substantial, certain cash at closing and require little post-closing work.

Next step: compare net proceeds and post-closing obligations

Choose an advisor only after defining your exit date and acceptable post-closing involvement. Set a separate limit for contingent payments or retained equity.

Ask each advisor to document total fees and termination terms. Each response should also explain the valuation method, buyer outreach plan, expected cash at closing, and any earnout or employment requirements. Compare offers using expected net proceeds rather than the headline valuation alone.

Salt Creek is the best choice for owners of smaller practices who want direct principal access and no upfront retainer, while dental-exclusive or IDSO-focused firms may better suit larger and more specialized transactions.

For an initial view of value and buyer options, request a free, confidential preliminary valuation conversation with Jack and Connor.

Methodology

We reviewed each firm’s website in August 2026 before selecting it for this list. We checked public claims about client eligibility and dental specialization, then reviewed each firm’s fees, services, and coverage.

No firm paid for inclusion or sponsored the list. We compare firms by fit rather than ranking them. We attribute company-reported figures to each firm. Those company-reported figures have not necessarily been independently audited.