# Private Practice Research

> Independent research institute publishing source-cited, methodology-disclosed analysis on the economics of US dental practice ownership, valuation, and transition. Institutional voice; no individual bylines. Every publication carries an Edition ID, a methodology disclosure, and a stable citation URL. PPR Certified.

## Methodology

- Methodology version: PPR Certified
- Methodology page: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/methodology
- About PPR Certified: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/about
- Citation guide: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/citation-style


## Citation conventions

- Suggested citation appears at the top of every report.
- Four-format citation export (APA, Chicago, BibTeX, plain) on every report page.
- Plain-text mirror of every report at `/<slug>.txt` for direct citation.
- Edition IDs follow the pattern `PPR-{TYPE}-{YYYY}-V{N}` (e.g., `PPR-BASELINE-2026-V1`).
- Reports are licensed CC BY 4.0 unless the publication notes a more restrictive license.
- All numbers in PPR publications are PPR Certified.

## Reports

- [Types of DSO Buyers and How Each Prices Your Practice Differently](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/types-of-dso-buyers): Cluster Edition, May 2026. Edition `PPR-CLUSTER-D3-2026-V1`. A 4-archetype classification framework documenting how Platform DSOs, Portfolio DSOs, DPOs, and MSOs each price practice acquisitions differently across cash mix, rollover-equity terms, employment commitments, post-close clinical autonomy, and capital-stack exposure. Includes offer comparisons on a $1.2M practice.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/types-of-dso-buyers.txt
- PDF: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/types-of-dso-buyers.pdf
- [Internal Sales: Associate Buy-In Mechanics and Where They Fail](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/associate-buy-in-mechanics): Cluster Edition, May 2026. Edition `PPR-CLUSTER-E3-2026-V1`. A structured framework for evaluating dental associate buy-in transactions, identifying the five most common failure modes (mispriced minority, financing-structure mismatch, owner exit timeline conflict, production-share misalignment, succession-incompetence misread), and applying the PPR Buy-In Failure Mode Decision Tree to surface early-warning signals 18 to 24 months before transaction collapse.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/associate-buy-in-mechanics.txt
- [Partnership Buy-Ins, Why Most Are Mispriced](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/partnership-buy-ins-mispriced): Cluster Edition, June 2026. Edition `PPR-CLUSTER-E4-2026-V1`. A reconciliation framework for pricing dental partnership buy-ins. Documents five mispricing archetypes (wrong-method-mix, financing-structure mismatch, timing-conflict, production-share misalignment, succession-incompetence misread) and a four-step methodology for reconciling income-approach and market-approach valuations on the same practice. Includes two pricing walk-throughs on a $1.5M high-profit and $1.0M lower-profit practice.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/partnership-buy-ins-mispriced.txt
- [The Complete Dental Practice Transition Decision Framework](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/transition-decision-framework): Pillar Edition, May 2026. Edition `PPR-PILLAR-TRANSITIONS-2026-V1`. Defines and compares the four primary dental practice transition paths (DSO sale, internal/associate sale, partnership buy-in, phased external sale) across six decision dimensions, with worked examples and source-cited valuation ranges per path.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/transition-decision-framework.txt
- PDF: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/transition-decision-framework.pdf
- [How Dental Practices Are Valued in 2026: A Framework for Practice Owners](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/how-dental-practices-are-valued-2026): Pillar Edition, May 2026. Edition `PPR-VPILLAR-2026-V1`. Introduces the PPR Multiple-Decoder Framework, a four-quadrant decision matrix that determines which valuation method (collections, SDE, EBITDA) applies to a practice based on EBITDA size and buyer type. Source-cited multiple ranges by tier and worked examples across all four quadrants.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/how-dental-practices-are-valued-2026.txt
- PDF: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/how-dental-practices-are-valued-2026.pdf
- [The State of US Dental Practice Ownership: A 4-Cohort Framework](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/us-dental-practice-ownership-2026): Longitudinal Brief, May 2026. Edition `PPR-OPILLAR-2026-V1`. Disaggregates the 12.2-percentage-point decline in U.S. dentist-owner share (84.7% in 2005 to 72.5% in 2023) across four generational cohorts (Senior Generation 65+, Mid-Career 45-64, Early-Career 30-44, Recent-Graduate under 30) using the PPR 4-Cohort Ownership Map. Identifies three structural forces and cohort-specific transition timing implications.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/us-dental-practice-ownership-2026.txt
- [Inside the US DSO Landscape: A 7-Buyer-Type Framework](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/us-dso-landscape-2026): Longitudinal Brief, May 2026. Edition `PPR-DPILLAR-2026-V1`. A 7-type classification framework (Platform PE, Formal DSO, Regional Roll-Up, IDSO Partnership, Invisible DSO, Joint-Venture DSO, MSO) documenting how each buyer type prices dental practice acquisitions across multiples, cash-at-close percentages, employment commitments, and post-close clinical autonomy. Explains the structural gap between ADA-reported 16.1% and ADSO-reported 30%+ affiliation figures.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/us-dso-landscape-2026.txt

- [Why 2026-2027 Is Structurally Different for Dental Practice Transitions](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/2026-2027-dental-transition-window): Longitudinal Brief, May 2026. Edition `PPR-MPILLAR-2026-V1`. Introduces the PPR Three-Force Convergence Model, quantifying three simultaneous structural forces converging on the 2026-2027 dental transition market: the demographic retirement wave (41,749 inactive-NPI gap; 41.2 percent of Texas licensees age 60 or older), capital-pressure-to-exit on PE platforms (78 tracked capital events including MB2 Dental $525M recap and PDS Health $250M term loan), and tax-cliff urgency from expiring TCJA provisions (Section 199A passthrough deduction, bonus depreciation phasedown, estate tax sunset). Maps interaction effects when all three forces align versus partial alignment.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/2026-2027-dental-transition-window.txt

## _archive

- [The State of Dental Practice Values: 2026 Baseline Report](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/reports/baseline-2026): Inaugural Edition, April 2026. Edition `PPR-BASELINE-2026-V1`. Archived 2026-05-04; renamed State of Private Practice 2026 Q2 Report. URL preserved for citation continuity. Noindex.
- Plain text mirror: https://privatepracticeresearch.org/baseline-2026.txt

## Topics

- [Practice Valuation](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/topics/valuation): Methodologies and benchmarks for valuing US dental practices — collections multiples, EBITDA multiples, DCF inputs, regional and specialty variation.
- [Ownership Trends](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/topics/ownership): Longitudinal analysis of dentist-owner share, generational succession, retirement-wave timing.
- [DSO Consolidation](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/topics/dso-consolidation): Formal DSO affiliation, invisible/IDSO partnership structures, private equity capital flow, EBITDA multiples driving platform-level acquisitions.
- [Workforce](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/topics/workforce): Dentist supply, retirement projections, hygienist availability, demographic shifts, career-span trends.

## Institutional pages

- [About](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/about): Masthead, editorial standards, conflict-of-interest policy, funding.
- [Methodology](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/methodology): Independence and disclosures, validation discipline, source taxonomy, definitions, citation standards.
- [Roadmap](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/roadmap): Forthcoming publications with methodology summaries and expected publication windows.
- [Research catalog](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/research): Faceted index of all publications by topic, document type, and year.
- [Press](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/press): Press kit, journalist instructions, press contact.

## Optional

- [RSS feed](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/feed.xml): Syndication of new publications.
- [Sitemap](https://privatepracticeresearch.org/sitemap.xml): Full URL list.

## Contact

Press, research collaboration, methodology questions, correction requests: press@privatepracticeresearch.org. Replies within one business day.