The Dental Cut

Welcome to The Dental Cut

Opinionated takes on dental practice economics, M&A trends, and operator insights for practice owners and DSO leaders. No consultants. No vendor pitches.

Dental Practice Management

The Dental Cut // March 10, 2026

The Dental Cut // March 10, 2026 Pop quiz: What's the average cost to replace one dental hygienist who quits? (Spoiler at the bottom. It's worse than you think.

Practice Economics

Q1 2026 M&A deal flow preview: mid-market is hot, solo practices aren't.

Q1 2026 M&A deal flow preview: mid-market is hot, solo practices aren't. Dental M&A pipeline for Q1 2026 shows consolidation appetite concentrated on...

Dental Practice Management

Multi-Generational Workforce Management: Boomer-Millennial Friction

Multi-Generational Workforce Management: Boomer-Millennial Friction Pop quiz: What percentage of your practice team was born before 1980? (Answer at the bottom.

Dental Practice

Dental Office Cleaning and Janitorial: The Hidden Cost

Dental office cleaning costs $700-1,350/month (done right). In-house hidden costs reach $28-40K/year. OSHA compliance, biohazard disposal, vendor selection checklist, and why cheap cleaning vendors aren't savings - they're liability.

Dental Practice Management

Five states expanded Medicaid dental in early 2026. Here's what it means.

Five states expanded Medicaid dental in early 2026. Here's what it means. Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, and Minnesota all expanded Medicaid denta...

Dental Practice

February production dip: it's not just the weather

February production typically dips 8 to 12 percent below the prior month. Every practice owner expects it. Most think it's patient behavior.

Revenue

Q1 Production Benchmarks: Are You On Track

Check your Q1 production against targets now - a 15% shortfall early in the year signals major revenue loss and requires immediate corrective action.

Dental Business

AI-Generated Treatment Plans: Liability and Malpractice

Using AI to generate treatment plans creates significant malpractice liability. Here's why, specific legal scenarios, and how to use AI appropriately without risking your license.

Dental Practice

The solo practice premium: why independents are worth more per chair

Private equity firms are paying 9x EBITDA for group practices. That same metric for independent dental practices is 11x to 13x. Why are they paying 20 to 40 ...

Dental Practice

Dental benefit plan design is getting worse, not better

Insurance carriers raised premiums 6. 8 percent for 2026. They didn't raise patient benefits. In fact, they narrowed them. Deductibles stayed flat.

Dental Practice

Dental Practice Working Capital: How Much Do You Actually Need

Dental practices need 3-6 months of operating expenses in working capital reserves, but 80% operate with inadequate cushion, risking crisis.

Dental Business

Practice Management System Migration: Survival Guide

Practice management system migrations cost $20-55K upfront, take 6 weeks, and disrupt operations. Here's the exact timeline, real costs, vendor evaluation checklist, and what actually goes wrong.

Dental Practice

Your patient data is worth $250/record on the dark web

Healthcare data breaches hit 725 incidents in 2025. Dental practices accounted for 34 of them. When a breach happens, your patient records sell for between $...

Dentistry

Practice management AI features went mainstream in early 2026. Your PMS is learning about you.

Practice management AI features went mainstream in early 2026. Your PMS is learning about you.

Dental Practice

Dental Office ADA Compliance Costs: What's Required

ADA compliance costs $6,500-15,000 for most practices and is essential to avoid lawsuits and settlements that can reach $225,000.

Dental Practice

Employee Retention Tax Credits for Dental: Still Available

Dental practices can claim $60,000-100,000 in Employee Retention Tax Credits by December 31, 2025, requiring only a few hours of work.

Dental Practice Management

Dental practices got hacked 412 times in 2025. You're next.

Dental practices got hacked 412 times in 2025. You're next.

Dental Practice Management

DSO associate turnover hit 34% in 2025. You're not hiring doctors, you're renting them.

DSO associate turnover hit 34% in 2025. You're not hiring doctors, you're renting them.

Dental Practice

Dental Practice Marketing Attribution: Which Channels Actually Work

Most dental practices have no idea which marketing channels actually work. Here's how to measure attribution, identify your highest-ROI channels, and stop wasting 40-50% of your marketing budget on channels that don't produce results.

Insurance

Insurance Credentialing for New Locations: The Timeline

Insurance credentialing for a new dental location takes 120-150 days realistically, sometimes 180+ days. Here's the timeline, the cash flow impact, and how to avoid being blindsided.

Dental Practice

3D printing hit milling costs. In-office fabrication just became inevitable.

3D printing hit milling costs. In-office fabrication just became inevitable. In-office milling (Cerec, Dentsply) has owned the CAD/CAM crown market for years.

Dental Practice

Dental Practice Expansion: Second Location Economics

Opening a second dental location costs $640,000-$1,100,000 in true first-year expenses and takes 20-28 months to break even. Here's the real financial model most practices don't calculate before expanding.

Dental Practice

Dental Practice Debt-to-Income Ratios: The Real Numbers

Practice debt-to-income ratios above 30% create financial stress; healthy practices maintain 15-30% DTI with flexibility for downturns.

Dental Practice

Dental AI companies raised $800M in 2025. Where did it go?

Forty-three dental AI startups closed funding last year. $800 million poured into the sector. Not one changed how most practices actually work.