· 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.
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
Imposter Syndrome After Buying a Dental Practice
Feeling like a fraud after buying a dental practice is nearly universal. Here's why it happens and how to move through it without letting it run your practice.
· 10 min read
Buying an Endo or Perio Practice: What's Different
Buying an endodontic or periodontic practice involves different risks than a general practice. Here's what buyers need to evaluate before making an offer.
· 10 min read
How Payer Mix Affects How Much You Can Borrow to Buy a Practice
Payer mix shapes your DSCR, your loan ceiling, and your valuation. Here's how lenders read it — and how buyers can use it to negotiate.
· 10 min read
Co-Buyer Backs Out of a Dental Practice Deal: What to Do
Your co-buyer just dropped out mid-deal. Here's how to assess your legal exposure, requalify for solo financing, and decide whether to proceed or walk away.
· 10 min read
Negotiating a Patient Retention Guarantee When Buying a Practice
Patient retention guarantee when buying a dental practice: how to audit the patient base, structure price protections, and get contract language that holds.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice That Isn't for Sale
Most dental practices never get listed. Here's how to find the right owners to approach and what to say to turn cold outreach into a real deal.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice When the Seller Owns the Building
Should you buy the building too, or sign a lease? Here's how to evaluate the real estate decision when the seller owns the property.
· 9 min read
Hiring Your Own Attorney When Buying a Dental Practice
The broker's attorney drafted the purchase agreement to close the deal — not to protect you. Here's what independent legal review actually covers.
· 11 min read
Open Insurance Claims When Closing on a Dental Practice
Pending EOBs and open insurance claims at closing create real fraud risk and cash flow gaps. Here's how buyers should handle them before and after closing.
· 11 min read
Buying a Practice with an In-House Membership Plan
A dental practice with an in-house membership plan can be a stronger acquisition — or a hidden liability. Here's how buyers should evaluate one before closing.
· 9 min read
Retreatment Liability After Buying a Dental Practice
When patients return with failed prior work, who pays? Here's how to structure retreatment clauses, indemnification, and malpractice coverage before you close.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice Where the Owner Barely Works
When the seller barely works, you're not just buying a practice — you're buying a production gap. Here's how to evaluate the upside and the hidden risks.
· 10 min read
OSHA and Infection Control When Buying a Dental Practice
Before you close, here's how to audit a practice's OSHA and infection control compliance — and what gaps could cost you after day one.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice When You'll Need to Fire the Associate
Before you close, understand the associate's contract, how much revenue they control, and how to price that risk into the deal — or walk away.
· 10 min read
New Patient Flow Rate: What to Look for When Buying a Practice
New patient flow benchmarks every dental practice buyer should know — and how to read 3 years of data to spot growth, decline, or hidden risk.
· 10 min read
Goodwill Allocation in a Dental Practice Purchase: Tax Impact
How goodwill allocation in a dental practice purchase affects your taxes as a buyer — and how to negotiate a structure that works in your favor.
· 10 min read
Referral-Dependent Revenue Risk in Dental Specialty Practices
Buying a dental specialty practice? Learn how to audit referral concentration and structure the deal to protect against referral loss after closing.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice to Escape a Toxic Associateship
If your associateship is burning you out, ownership may be the real exit. Here's how to evaluate the move, navigate your non-compete, and time it right.
· 10 min read
Buying a Dental Practice on an H-1B Visa: What to Know
The 2025 H-1B modernization rule changed the rules for dentist-owners. Here's how to structure the acquisition, satisfy USCIS, and secure financing.
· 10 min read
Getting a Mortgage After Buying a Dental Practice
Yes, you can get a mortgage after buying a dental practice — but lenders see you differently now. Here's how to qualify and which loan type works best.
· 10 min read
Buy a Dental Practice or a House First?
Most dentists face this exact dilemma. Here's how the financing, liquidity, and income math actually plays out — and which move builds more wealth.
· 11 min read
Buying an Orthodontic Practice as a General Dentist
General dentists can buy orthodontic practices — but the financial structure, clinical model, and due diligence look nothing like a GP acquisition.
· 9 min read
Dental Practice Malpractice History: A Buyer's Checklist
Before buying a dental practice, here's how to uncover the seller's malpractice history — from state board records to NPDB data and insurance claims.
· 9 min read
Buying a Dental Practice Near a Dental School: Pros and Cons
Thinking about buying a dental practice near a dental school? Here's how to evaluate the real competition risk, demographic upside, and pricing dynamics.
· 10 min read
NHSC Loan Repayment While Owning a Dental Practice
Yes, dental practice owners can use NHSC loan repayment — but only if your practice qualifies as an approved site. Here's what that actually requires.
· 10 min read
Dental Practice Seller Employment Agreement: What to Negotiate
When a seller stays on after closing, the employment agreement is where your investment is protected or exposed. Here's what buyers need to negotiate.
· 11 min read
Buying a Dental Practice That Already Has an Associate
Before you close, here's how to evaluate the associate's contract, production split, and retention risk — and what to negotiate to protect your investment.
· 10 min read
Dental Practice Lease Assignment: A Buyer's Guide
What buyers need to know about dental practice lease assignment — from reading the assignment clause to negotiating the personal guarantee before closing.
· 9 min read
Buying a Dental Practice with No Money Saved
100% financing is real — but "no money saved" isn't quite the full story. Here's what lenders actually require and how to close the gap.