---
title: "What Is Practice transition? Dental Practice Glossary"
description: "A change of ownership of a practice, such as a sale, a merger or a hand-off to an associate, often planned over months or years."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/practice-transition
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Ownership and transitions

# Practice transition

A change of ownership of a practice, such as a sale, a merger or a hand-off to an associate, often planned over months or years.

A practice transition is a change in who owns or runs a practice. It can be a full sale, a sale of part of the practice, a merger, or a gradual hand-off to an associate. The ADA says a phased buyout lets the owner and buyers learn an accurate value now and sets the stage for a full transition later.

The ADA also points sellers to tip sheets and video resources to help plan and manage the transition process. Related steps include [practice valuation](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/practice-valuation), a [letter of intent](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/letter-of-intent) and [succession planning](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/succession-planning).

Transitions involve legal, tax and financing questions. Owners should work with their own advisers. This entry defines the term only.

[Next stepPractice consulting with Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=consulting)

## Related terms

-   [Succession planning](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/succession-planning)
-   [Exit strategy](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/exit-strategy)
-   [Partial exit](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/partial-exit)
-   [Practice acquisition](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/practice-acquisition)
-   [Practice valuation](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/practice-valuation)

## Sources

1.  [ADA, Buying or Selling a Dental Practice, Start with an Accurate Valuation](https://www.ada.org/resources/careers/buying-or-selling-a-dental-practice-start-with-an-accurate-valuation)
2.  [ADA, What to Do When Selling a Practice](https://www.ada.org/resources/practice/practice-management/what-to-do-when-selling-a-practice)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

[Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)