# 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](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle), and it can also name a fallback if the first choice does not work out. By DDSIntel Editorial. Source: DDSIntel, https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/succession-planning. Published 2026-10-26; data as of 2026-10-25. ## Key numbers - **18.6%** of U.S. dentists were 55 to 64 (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2025; https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce) - **15.2%** were 65 or older (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2025; https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce) - **68.7** average retirement age (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2024; https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce) - **72.5%** of U.S. dentists owned a private practice (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2023; https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dental-practice-research) ## 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](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/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](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/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](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/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](https://ddsintel.com/signals). Owners decide what, if anything, to share; see [how owners control their record](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/claim-your-practice-record). Related guides: [the options for exiting a practice](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/exit-options), [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). See also [dentist age distribution](https://ddsintel.com/data/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](https://ddsintel.com/lifecycle/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. https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce 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). https://dentalpracticetransitions.henryschein.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-sell-a-dental-practice/ 3. ADA Health Policy Institute. Dental practice research. https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dental-practice-research 4. U.S. Small Business Administration. 7(a) loans. https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/7a-loans --- 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.