# What are the options for exiting a dental practice? A dental practice owner has four basic exit routes: sell, merge, partner through a buy-in or partial sale, or close, and TUSK Practice Sales reported at least 175 practice locations sold to DSOs in the first half of 2026. Which route fits depends on goals, timing and the local buyer pool, as the [practice lifecycle](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle) explains. By DDSIntel Editorial. Source: DDSIntel, https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/exit-options. Published 2026-10-26; data as of 2026-10-25. ## Key numbers - **175** practice locations, at least, were sold to DSOs in the first half of 2026 (TUSK Practice Sales, Q3 2026 dental market report (press release), H1 2026; https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tusk-practice-sales-assesses-the-state-of-the-dental-industry-in-its-q3-2026-dental-market-report-302823046.html) - **16.1%** of U.S. dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2024 (ADA Health Policy Institute, The U.S. Dentist Workforce, 2025 update, 2024; https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/US_dentist_workforce_2025.pdf) - **60%** percent of consideration paid as cash at close, the low end of DSO offers TUSK described (TUSK Practice Sales, Q3 2026 Dental Market Report (press release, July 10, 2026), Q3 2026; https://pr.timesenterprise.com/article/TUSK-Practice-Sales-Assesses-the-State-of-the-Dental-Industry-in-Its-Q3-2026-Dental-Market-Report/6a514c9516e7610b3c53e15d) - **68.7** average retirement age (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2024; https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce) ## How do the exit routes compare? A sale to a DSO often pays much of its price in cash at close and may include continued work; a sale to a dentist usually depends on buyer financing; a merger combines two practices; a buy-in or partial sale phases the owner out gradually; and closing realizes the least value. Each route trades price, control and speed. ## How common is selling to a DSO? The ADA Health Policy Institute found 16.1% of dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2024, and TUSK counted at least 175 practice locations sold to DSOs in the first half of 2026. Estimates of consolidation differ by what they measure, which [how consolidated dentistry is](https://ddsintel.com/dso) compares. ## What do DSO offers typically look like? TUSK reported DSO offers structured with 60% to 85%+ of total consideration paid as cash at close, and dental practice valuations of 5x to 9x+ EBITDA. Those are market descriptions, not offers; a specific practice’s terms depend on earnings, location and negotiation, and a CPA and an attorney should review any term sheet. ## When does closing happen, and what follows? Closing usually follows when no buyer emerges or after an unplanned event. Duties to patients continue afterward, including record retention and access. [Closing a dental practice](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/closing-a-dental-practice) sets out the steps, and [patient records in a sale or closure](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/patient-records-in-a-sale) explains custody and access. Related guides: [planning a retirement timeline](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/retirement-timeline), [how to prepare a practice for sale](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/preparing-to-sell-checklist), [patient records in a sale or closure](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/patient-records-in-a-sale). Each route leaves different public records, which DDSIntel reads in aggregate as [dental transition signals](https://ddsintel.com/signals). See [dental market data](https://ddsintel.com/data) for the underlying figures. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are the exit options for a dental practice owner? Sell to a DSO or another dentist, merge, partner through a buy-in or partial sale, or close. ### Can I sell part of my practice? Yes. An associate buy-in or a partial sale can phase an owner out over time; see [associate to owner](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/associate-to-owner). ### Which exit route pays the most? There is no single answer; headline price, cash at close, work requirements and risk differ by buyer and by practice. ### What happens to patient records on closure? Record retention and access duties continue; state law sets retention periods and HIPAA governs access. ## Sources 1. TUSK Practice Sales, via PR Newswire. TUSK Practice Sales assesses the state of the dental industry in its Q3 2026 dental market report (July 10, 2026). https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tusk-practice-sales-assesses-the-state-of-the-dental-industry-in-its-q3-2026-dental-market-report-302823046.html 2. ADA Health Policy Institute. The dentist workforce. https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce 3. American Dental Association. What to do when closing a practice. https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/practice-management/what-to-do-when-closing-a-practice --- DDSIntel is a dental transition intelligence platform that detects pre-market dental practice transition signals for brokers, DSOs, lenders and the firms that serve them.