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How do you choose a territory for dental acquisitions?

Choose a territory by weighing three public inputs: dentist supply, unmet demand and the age of the local owner base. Nationally there were 60.0 dentists per 100,000 residents in 2025 (ADA Health Policy Institute), a benchmark against which any territory can be compared (deal-sourcing guide).

By DDSIntel Editorial· Published · Data as of

Key numbers

What public inputs define a territory?

Three inputs do most of the work: the number of dentists per resident, shortage-area designations that show unmet need, and the age mix of the dentists already there. Supply and age come from the ADA Health Policy Institute, shortage areas from HRSA. None of them names a practice.

The dentists by state and dental shortage areas pages hold the figures, with sources and dates.

How do shortage areas help?

HRSA designates dental shortage areas where need exceeds supply. At the end of 2025 about a third of the dentists needed in those areas were in place, so a practice there faces less local competition for patients. That raises its value to a buyer but does not mean its owner wants to sell.

Shortage status says something about demand, and nothing about ownership timing. Pair it with age and signal data.

How does owner age shape a territory?

Age sets a baseline. Nationally 18.6% of dentists were 55 to 64 in 2025, and 15.2% were 65 or older. A territory with more dentists in those bands is likely to see more transitions in coming years, though individual timing varies widely and age alone is not a signal.

See when dentists retire and dental transition signals for what to read beyond age.

How do you turn a territory into a target list?

Rank territories on the three inputs, choose a few you can serve in person, then watch public-record signals there over time. DDSIntel publishes signal activity by state and region in aggregate once each release is signed off. Individual engagement happens only through consent or advisers.

The process continues in building a dental acquisition pipeline and which data categories to use. For where private deals originate, see off-market dental practices.

Frequently asked questions

How big should a territory be?

Big enough to hold several targets, small enough to visit. The right size depends on your team.

Are shortage areas better for acquisitions?

Not by rule. Lower competition helps patient demand but tells you nothing about sellers.

Can I see practice counts by county?

Public pages show aggregates only, and shares for counties with fewer than 10 locations are suppressed.

Does DDSIntel cover every state?

Cited public figures are shown for every state on equal terms; DDSIntel’s own records are not claimed to be national.

Sources

  1. ADA Health Policy Institute. The dentist workforce. ada.org.
  2. ADA Health Policy Institute. The U.S. Dentist Workforce, 2025 update. ada.org.
  3. ADA Health Policy Institute, via KFF State Health Facts. Professionally Active Dentists, 2024. kff.org.
  4. HRSA, via KFF State Health Facts. Dental Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), as of December 31, 2025. kff.org.

Questions or corrections: request a correction. Markdown version: /deal-sourcing/territory-planning.md.