Ownership and transitions
Practice owner
The person or entity that holds legal control of a dental practice and carries its financial risk, including decisions on staffing, spending and the direction of the business.
A practice owner is the person or entity with legal control of a dental practice and its financial risk. Owners decide on staffing, spending and the direction of the business, in addition to any clinical work they do.
The ADA Health Policy Institute reports that, as of 2023, 73 percent of dentists are practice owners, down from 85 percent in 2005. Its research brief also notes that early career ownership rates are much lower than they were for earlier graduates.
Ownership can take many forms, from a solo practice to a share of a group practice. A dentist may reach ownership by a buy-in or by a practice acquisition. This entry defines the term only.