What is my dental practice worth?

Dental practices sold on BizBuySell average 2.75× owner earnings. Practice value depends heavily on whether patients and production stay after the selling dentist leaves, which is why most sales include a transition period.

Avg SDE multiple

2.75×

Typical range

1.6–3.37×

Avg revenue multiple

0.76×

Median sale price

$350K

BizBuySell industry row: Dental Practices, plus BizBuySell's dental sold-business quartiles. Range is BizBuySell's sold-business lower to upper quartile (median 2.48×). Median sold business: $519,190 revenue, $149,838 owner earnings. Source: BizBuySell — Business Valuation Multiples by Industry (businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026); BizBuySell — Dental Practice Valuation Benchmarks (sold 2021–2025).

Value your dental practice

Let's estimate what your business is worth. Seven quick questions, no email needed.

Trade: Dental practice ·

Which state is it in?

Worked example

Hypothetical. A general dental practice near BizBuySell's median sold dental practice (about $519K revenue and $150K owner earnings). The owner dentist does most of the dentistry; hygiene recall is about 60% of visits.

Revenue $520,000, owner earnings (SDE) $150,000, 20 years, about 60% recurring, “I do most of the work myself”.
Start at the published 2.75× average.
Owner involvement: I do most of the work myself: -0.25×. When the owner is the main worker, a buyer is buying a job and pays less.
Recurring revenue 60%+: +0.25×. Contracts and memberships make next year's revenue predictable.
20 years in business: +0.10×. Long, proven history.
Adjusted multiple 2.85× × $150,000 = $428,000, range $260,000 – $548,000.
Revenue cross-check: $520,000 × 0.76× = $395,000.

What raises the price

Active patient base with strong recall and hygiene production
Associate dentists or hygienists who will stay
Modern equipment and digital records
A good payer mix, with fee-for-service or well-paid PPO plans
A long lease or owned building

What lowers it

The selling dentist produces most of the dentistry
Heavy dependence on low-paying insurance plans
Old equipment that needs replacing soon
A short lease in a market with many competing practices

Calculating SDE for a dental practice

Start from net profit on your tax return or P&L, then add back:

Owner-dentist compensation, payroll taxes and benefits
Personal auto, CE travel and other discretionary expenses
Depreciation on equipment
Interest on practice loans
One-time costs such as a remodel or a software change

Only add back what a buyer can verify. See SDE explained: how to calculate owner earnings and add-backs for a full walkthrough.

If there are two working owners, the second owner's salary usually stays as a cost, because a buyer will need to replace that person.

Questions

Can a non-dentist buy my practice?

In many states, ownership of a dental practice is limited to licensed dentists, with exceptions through dental service organizations (DSOs). Check your state's rules before talking to buyers.

Do DSOs pay more than these multiples?

Often, for larger, multi-provider practices, and usually priced on EBITDA rather than SDE. Smaller single-dentist practices usually sell to other dentists at multiples like the ones on this page.

How this estimate works

We start from the published average multiple for businesses in this category that actually sold, adjust it for owner involvement, recurring revenue, track record and size, and apply it to your owner earnings. Read the full valuation methodology, including what we don't do.

Related trades

Compare other trades

Trade	Avg SDE multiple	Avg revenue multiple	Median sale price	Basis
Plumbing	2.61×	0.69×	$699,000	Trade row
HVAC	2.83×quartiles 1.99–3.33×	0.60×	$750,000	Trade row
Electrical	2.77×	0.63×	$1,009,000	Trade row
Landscaping	2.49×	0.72×	$449,950	Trade row
Pool service / routes	2.61×	0.83×	—	Sector average (no trade row)
Pest control	2.46×quartiles 1.69–3×	1.01×	$250,000	Trade row
Cleaning	2.25×	0.72×	$281,500	Trade row
Roofing	2.65×	0.59×	$750,500	Sector average (no trade row)
Auto repair	2.85×	0.65×	$430,000	Trade row
Salon / barbershop	2.10×	0.52×	$117,375	Trade row
Restaurant	2.18×quartiles 1.34–2.53×	0.39×	$220,000	Trade row
Daycare / child care	3.28×quartiles 1.94–4.03×	0.88×	$380,000	Trade row
Dental practice	2.75×quartiles 1.6–3.37×	0.76×	$350,000	Trade row
Gym / fitness center	2.54×quartiles 1.72–3×	0.70×	$204,000	Trade row
Insurance agency	2.87×quartiles 1.88–3.44×	1.52×	$500,000	Trade row
Accounting / tax / bookkeeping	2.27×quartiles 1.61–2.66×	1.08×	$450,000	Trade row
Moving company	2.52×quartiles 1.8–3.11×	0.63×	$350,000	Trade row
IT services / MSP	3.22×quartiles 2.2–3.87×	1.08×	$726,800	Trade row
Locksmith	2.35×	0.75×	$300,000	Trade row
Pet grooming	2.30×quartiles 1.38–2.51×	0.63×	$152,500	Trade row
Other main-street business	2.61×	0.83×	$350,000	General main-street range

Source: BizBuySell, Business Valuation Multiples by Industry, businesses sold Q3 2021–Q2 2026; quartiles from BizBuySell's per-industry valuation benchmark pages (sold 2021–2025). Pool and roofing use sector averages; “Other” uses the Service Businesses sector. Retrieved Oct 30, 2026.

Estimates for information only; not an appraisal or an offer. MainStreetKeys is not a business broker. Data retrieved Oct 30, 2026.