Dental Practice Purchase Guide 2026

A complete due diligence framework for buying an Australian dental practice — 26 pages, 9 sections, covering every dimension of practice evaluation from first impressions through to offer strategy. Written by Resolve Dental Consultancy with over 37 years of Australian dental industry experience, including building and selling three practices.

Buying a dental practice is one of the most significant financial and professional decisions you will ever make. Done well, it is the foundation of a rewarding and profitable career as a practice owner. Done poorly, it can result in years of financial stress and professional regret.

This guide gives you a structured, rigorous framework to evaluate any practice — so you walk into every due diligence process knowing exactly what to look for, what questions to ask, and what red flags to walk away from.

Works alongside the Resolve Dental Practice Business Plan and Resolve Financial Forecast for a complete practice purchase and planning system.

✔ Fully editable Microsoft Word format
✔ 26 pages — 9 complete due diligence sections
✔ Includes scorecards, checklists, financial benchmarks, and offer strategy framework
✔ 2026-compliant — references ADA Guidelines 5th Edition, AS/NZS 5369:2023, Fair Work Act, Payday Super
✔ Instant digital download
✔ Single-practice licence

What's Included:

Section 1 — Practice Overview & First Impressions
Practice summary, operating hours, and a First Impressions Scorecard — rating exterior presentation, reception, clinical areas, staff, equipment, and patient atmosphere.

Section 2 — Location & Market Analysis
Location Scorecard (10 items), competition analysis table, demographics and patient market assessment, and a corporate chain proximity warning with financial modelling guidance.

Section 3 — Financial Due Diligence
3-year revenue summary, expense analysis vs Resolve benchmarks (consumables, lab, salaries, rent, marketing), goodwill valuation framework with 8 goodwill factor assessments, and a Financial Red Flags checklist (12 items — more than two without explanation means walk away).

Section 4 — Property & Lease
Lease Assessment Checklist (13 items), Building and Facility Scorecard, and a full property analysis — including secured tenure, rent review structure, assignment rights, and estimated Year 1 capex.

Section 5 — Equipment & Technology
Dental chair inventory, key equipment assessment table, technology and software review, and an independent equipment valuation checklist — including a warning on financed vs fully owned equipment.

Section 6 — Patient Base Analysis
Active patient overview, new patient activity (3-month trend), recall system health scorecard, treatment mix and clinical quality assessment, and a Post-Sale Patient Attrition Risk table — modelling the 20% attrition scenario Resolve recommends for every purchase.

Section 7 — Staff & Team Analysis
Staff register, associate dentist analysis, and a comprehensive Employment & HR Due Diligence checklist (16 items) — including Payday Super verification, AHPRA registrations, accrued entitlements, and Fair Work obligations.

Section 8 — Compliance, Legal & Risk
Regulatory Compliance Checklist (12 items), Legal and Contractual Checklist (10 items), and a Risk Summary table across 8 risk dimensions — each with your mitigation strategy.

Section 9 — Purchase Decision & Offer Strategy
Resolve Practice Scorecard (10 dimensions), Financial Scenario Modelling (base case, conservative, worst case, growth case), Offer Strategy framework, and a Decision and Sign-Off page.