When buying a practice, you will usually be expected to sign a Confidentiality Agreement. In it you agree not to disclose financial and other personal information about the practice you are considering. You can share that information with an accountant or attorney who is assisting you in the purchase process.

You should be given at least 3 years' tax returns, a dental fee schedule, a copy of the office lease, a depreciation schedule for the equipment, information on the history and staffing of the practice, types of procedures performed, insurance carriers accepted and other information you deem necessary to allow you to decide if you are interested in the dental practice and what price you would be willing to pay.

This is a major decision in your career and you should seek help from someone who has experience dealing with dental practices.

If you will be selling your practice in the next 5 to 7 years, you should be cognizant of the information that will be needed to expedite the sale. You might also consider what you could do now to enhance the value of your practice and increase its marketability when you are ready to sell.

We offer an Appraisal+ that will give you some idea of your practice's present value plus suggestions on the things you can do now that will help when the time for the sale arrives. In the future, there will not necessarily be a buyer for every practice. If you plan ahead, you may be able to increase the odds that there will be a buyer for your practice.