· 10 min read
How to Increase Dental Practice Value Before Selling
A practical framework for dental practice owners to increase EBITDA, reduce owner dependence, and strengthen goodwill before going to market.
Eric Chen
Co-Founder, Minty Dental
Eric is the co-founder of Minty Dental, the dental practice marketplace. He writes about practice acquisitions, valuations, and the dental market.
Articles by Eric Chen
· 10 min read
How to Drop a PPO Without Losing Too Many Patients
A step-by-step framework for exiting PPO contracts strategically — ranking plans, calculating attrition risk, and communicating the change to patients.
· 10 min read
Buying a Practice with a Rebuilt Hygiene Department
A recently rebuilt hygiene department looks like upside — but buyers need to verify whether the recovery is real before paying for it. Here's how.
· 9 min read
Buying a Dental Practice from a Multi-Location Seller
A seller who still owns other practices has different incentives than one who's retiring. Here's how to evaluate the real risks before you sign.
· 9 min read
Dental Practice Loan Rate Lock Expiring Before Closing
Your dental practice loan rate lock is about to expire before closing. Here's what it costs, who pays, and the steps to protect your rate.
· 10 min read
Dental Practice Seller Reduced Hours Before Listing: Valuation Impact
When a seller cut back their schedule for two years before listing, the financials tell a distorted story. Here's how buyers should read the numbers.
· 10 min read
When Your Spouse Earns More: How to Size Your Practice Risk
If your spouse earns more than the practice will, that changes how much salary you need on day one — and which deals you can afford to take on.
· 10 min read
Dental Practice Non-Solicitation Clause: What It Covers
A dental practice non-solicitation clause covers more than patients. Here's what buyers need to know about staff, referral sources, and drafting gaps.
· 10 min read
Dental Practice Used as Collateral: What Buyers Must Check
When a seller's other businesses carry debt secured by the dental practice, buyers can inherit lien complications. Here's how to find them and protect yourself.
· 10 min read
Chart Audit Billing Irregularities: What Dental Buyers Should Do
A chart audit can expose upcoding, phantom billing, and inflated collections. Here's how buyers interpret findings and protect themselves before closing.
· 10 min read
Dental Practice Add-Backs: What Lenders Actually Accept
When a lender disputes seller add-backs, your deal math changes fast. Here's how to read the add-back schedule before you make an offer.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice Right After GPR or AEGD
Finished your GPR or AEGD and wondering if it's too soon to buy? Here's how to evaluate your readiness — clinically, financially, and with lenders.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice with an Active Insurance Audit
An active insurance audit doesn't automatically kill a deal — but it changes what you need to investigate, negotiate, and protect before closing.
· 9 min read
Dental Practice Seasonal Cash Flow: What Buyers Must Know
Buying a seasonal dental practice? Learn how to read monthly production data, size your working capital, and survive slow months without a cash crisis.
· 9 min read
Using Your Spouse's Income to Qualify for a Dental Practice Loan
Spouse income can help you qualify for a dental practice loan — but only in specific ways. Here's how lenders actually use it, and what it costs you.
· 10 min read
When the Associate Outproduces the Owner: Is It Safe to Buy?
When an associate produces more than the owner, you're buying two revenue streams with different risk profiles. Here's how to evaluate and structure the deal.
· 11 min read
Pending Lab Cases When Buying a Dental Practice
Crowns in transit, unseated restorations, multi-stage implants — here's how to audit WIP during due diligence and protect yourself in the purchase agreement.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice That Was Previously Owned by a DSO
DSO-owned practices come with unique financial, operational, and transition risks. Here's what buyers need to evaluate before making an offer.
· 10 min read
High No-Show Rate at a Dental Practice: What Buyers Need to Know
A high no-show or cancellation rate can signal a fixable systems problem — or a deeper patient loyalty issue. Here's how buyers should read the data.
· 10 min read
How to Read a Dental Practice P&L as a First-Time Buyer
The P&L tells you what a practice actually earns — not what the seller claims. Here's how to read every line before you make an offer.
· 10 min read
Dental Practice Loan Taking Too Long? Here's What to Do
Loan approval dragging past your closing deadline? Here's how to diagnose the delay, keep the seller on board, and protect your deal.
· 10 min read
Negotiating a Dental Practice Price Down After Due Diligence
Found problems during due diligence? Here's how to translate your findings into a dollar adjustment and negotiate a lower price without killing the deal.
· 10 min read
Seller Owes Back Payroll Taxes: What Dental Buyers Must Know
Buying a dental practice when the seller owes back payroll taxes? Here's how liability can follow the deal — and how to protect yourself before closing.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice That Lost Patients After COVID
A practice that lost patients after COVID may be a discount opportunity or a value trap. Here's how buyers can tell the difference before signing.
· 11 min read
Evaluating Dental Practice Technology Before You Buy
How to assess a dental practice's tech stack before closing — PMS compatibility, equipment age, digital workflow gaps, and what to negotiate.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice When the Seller Is Divorcing
When a dental practice seller is going through a divorce, the deal gets complicated fast. Here's what buyers need to know before signing anything.
· 10 min read
Buying a Minority Stake in a Dental Practice: Key Risks
A minority stake in a dental practice sounds like a path to ownership — but the risks are real. Here's what buyers need to evaluate before signing.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice from an Estate After the Owner Dies
Estate sales move fast and the seller can't answer your questions. Here's how to evaluate the deal, negotiate the price, and close before goodwill disappears.
· 10 min read
UCC Liens on Dental Practice Equipment: A Buyer's Guide
UCC liens appear in nearly every dental practice sale. Here's how to find them, what they mean for your deal, and how to protect yourself before closing.
· 10 min read
Budgeting for Equipment Upgrades After Buying a Dental Practice
How to assess equipment condition before closing, build a realistic upgrade budget, and finance new technology without straining your first-year cash flow.