25/08/2026
11 Dental Practice Exit Strategies That Will Change Your Practice Value
Every dental practice will eventually exit.
The only uncertainty is whether that exit will be planned or forced.
Our analysis indicates that 19.5% of dental practices exit for below market value.
In many cases, this happens because the owner has only one exit strategy, or no documented exit plan at all.
One exit plan is not enough.
Every practice owner should have multiple exit strategies covering both the preferred future and the unexpected events known as the 5Ds:
• Death
• Disability
• Divorce
• Disagreement
• Distress
Any one of these events can change your health, finances, business relationships or ability to continue operating.
If your only plan is to sell the practice when you are ready to retire, what happens if circumstances force you to exit earlier?
There are at least 11 potential dental practice exit strategies, including:
• Selling and walking away
• Selling to an associate or internal team
• Selling and remaining as an employee
• Moving to absentee ownership
• Completing a phased sale
• Merging with a competitor
• Joining a traditional roll-up
• Participating in a co-operative roll-up
• Completing a distressed or patient-file sale
• Closing the practice completely
Each pathway can produce a very different financial and personal outcome.
The Dental Exit Co-operative model is designed to help independent practice owners build, grow and scale together before exiting. Our indicative analysis suggests that a well-executed co-operative roll-up could potentially increase total owner value by 150% to 300% compared with a conventional external sale.
These figures are directional planning estimates, not guaranteed outcomes.
A strong exit plan should give you multiple pathways:
• A preferred long-term exit
• An accelerated exit if your circumstances change
• An emergency plan covering the 5Ds
• A continuity plan for your team and patients
• A strategy for protecting and increasing practice value
Exits can take years to prepare properly.
Systems must be documented.
Owner dependency must be reduced.
EBITDA must be strengthened.
Risks must be addressed.
Successors or buyers must be identified.
The transaction structure must be planned.
If you wait until you need to exit, many of these options may no longer be available.
Start planning now, even if you do not expect to exit for several years.
Book a confidential appointment with me, Craig Keegan, to discuss:
• Your current exit readiness
• Your preferred exit timeframe
• Your exposure to the 5Ds
• Your primary, secondary and emergency exit strategies
• Risks that may reduce buyer interest
• Opportunities to increase EBITDA and valuation
• Which exit pathways may suit your objectives
Book your appointment: using the link in the First Comment.
Every business will exit.
The goal is to make sure you control when, how and for how much.
