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What is a dental practice succession plan?

A dental practice succession plan sets out who will take over, when and on what terms, and it matters to many owners: in 2025, 18.6% of U.S. dentists were 55 to 64 and 15.2% were 65 or older (ADA Health Policy Institute). It is the transition stage of the practice lifecycle, and it can also name a fallback if the first choice does not work out.

By DDSIntel Editorial· Published · Data as of

Key numbers

What are the options for succession?

A plan can name a sale to a dental support organization, a sale to another dentist, an associate buy-in, a merger or an orderly closure, with a fallback if the first choice fails. Exit options compares the routes, and the right one depends on the owner’s goals, the practice and the local market.

What belongs in a written succession plan?

A written plan covers goals and a target date, a current valuation, the preferred route and a fallback, the advisers (a CPA, an attorney and perhaps a broker), how staff and patients will be told, and what happens if the owner dies or is disabled. Unplanned transitions covers continuity planning.

When should an owner start succession planning?

Henry Schein Dental Practice Transitions advises beginning 5 to 10 years before an intended exit. With the average dentist retiring at 68.7 after a 41.3-year career, per the ADA Health Policy Institute, many owners work back from a target age. The retirement timeline sets out the milestones in order.

Who helps build a succession plan?

Owners usually work with a CPA, an attorney and often a broker or financial planner, and some involve a trusted associate. Planning steps can leave traces in public records, which DDSIntel reads only in aggregate as dental transition signals. Owners decide what, if anything, to share; see how owners control their record.

Related guides: the options for exiting a practice, planning a retirement timeline, how to prepare a practice for sale.

See also dentist age distribution.

Frequently asked questions

What is a dental practice succession plan?

A plan for who takes over the practice, when and on what terms, including how patients and staff are told.

Does a succession plan mean selling?

No. It can describe a buy-in, a merger, continued ownership with a step-down or a closure.

Should a plan cover death or disability?

Yes. A continuity plan for unplanned events protects patients and staff; see unplanned transitions.

What does the SBA fund in a purchase?

The SBA says 7(a) loans can fund changes of ownership, up to $5 million; lenders set terms.

Sources

  1. ADA Health Policy Institute. The dentist workforce. ada.org.
  2. Henry Schein Dental Practice Transitions. How long does it take to sell a dental practice? And how to control the timeline (July 3, 2026). dentalpracticetransitions.henryschein.com.
  3. ADA Health Policy Institute. Dental practice research. ada.org.
  4. U.S. Small Business Administration. 7(a) loans. sba.gov.

Questions or corrections: request a correction. Markdown version: /lifecycle/succession-planning.md.