In the practice sales I’ve been asked to provide input on, the initial focus is almost always the financials. Profit & Loss Reports, EBITDAs and Balance Sheets. These documents offer a snapshot of current performance and often prompt the accountant’s inevitable question: “Is this practice worth the asking price?”
Accountants provide a crucial lens when evaluating risk and financial viability. But here’s the issue: they can only assess what’s already there. Their analysis, understandably, focuses on what the practice is currently doing, not what it could become under the guidance of a motivated, skilled buyer.
The real opportunity lies in the gap between current performance and future potential. That gap, when you have the right skillset, can become your greatest ROI.
Not all practices are firing on all cylinders. Some are coasting, others are stagnating. And while that might sound like a red flag, it can actually be a golden opportunity. If you have the ability to lead a team, build systems, and offer a wider range of services, you can significantly increase the return on your investment, often within a relatively short time.
How You Increase ROI After You Buy
When you’re considering a purchase, you’re not just buying what exists. You’re buying what’s possible. And, there are many ways a new owner can bring meaningful, measurable improvements to a practice.
1. Keep More Services In-House
If procedures like endodontics, orthodontics, or complex extractions are being referred out, that’s potential income walking out the door. If you’re equipped to perform those treatments, you can immediately boost revenue without adding a single new patient.
2. Improve Surgery Time Utilisation
Are chairs sitting empty? Are clinical hours under-booked? Surgery time is prime real estate in your business. Every unused hour represents lost income. Improving scheduling processes can make a huge difference.
3. Extend Operating Hours
Adding evenings or Saturday sessions can dramatically increase accessibility. Many practices stick to a 9–5 model, but the modern patient often needs flexibility. Just a few extra sessions each week can attract a whole new demographic.
4. Implement or Upgrade Marketing
Long-established dental practices often have no active marketing plan. A modest digital strategy, a tidy website, and a bit of attention on Google reviews can have a disproportionately large impact on new patient flow.
5. Train and Upskill Staff
A well-trained team can be a powerhouse. With the right development, they’ll be more confident in discussing treatment, presenting options, and managing patient objections, leading to higher case acceptance and smoother operations.
6. Introduce Additional Services
Adding services like teeth whitening, aligners, or hygiene programs doesn’t just boost revenue – it broadens your appeal. Patients appreciate convenience, and having more services in one place builds loyalty.
7. Leverage the Hygiene Department
If the practice already has a hygiene department, you’re ahead. With hygiene handling preventative care, you can focus on higher-value treatments, raising your average hourly production significantly.
8. Enhance Recall and Reactivation Systems
Most practices have a large pool of inactive patients. With a proper recall system and a reactivation strategy, you can re-engage these patients and fill your books without spending a cent on marketing.
9. Increase Fees Strategically
Ensuring the fees charged are appropriate can be a task that is often neglected. A small, well-communicated fee increase (aligned with industry benchmarks and your value proposition) can significantly improve margins.
When you’re buying a dental practice, you’re not just buying patients, equipment, and four walls. You’re buying possibility. And that possibility lives in the space between what the practice is today and what it can become under your leadership.
The value isn’t just in the books. It’s in your vision, your energy, and your ability to lead the transformation.
Because with the right strategy, the right systems, and the right people, what looks like an average practice on paper can become the most rewarding investment of your career.