Orthodontics Practice Valuation
Orthodontics Practice Valuation Calculator & Exit Planning Built for Orthodontists
We built one platform that tracks your orthodontic practice's value monthly, identifies exit gaps early, and ensures your personal finances align with your exit timeline.
1,000+ Businesses have joined YourExitValue.com
Most Orthodontic Practice Owners Have No Idea What Their Practice is Actually Worth
Current Orthodontics Practice Valuation Multiples (2026)
Orthodontic practice valuations are healthy due to case economics and DSO interest. Here's the market:
Every business is different. That's why you need to track your value.
Included in Your Exit Value is a complete Exit Planning Assessment where you track your progress quarterly against your results from the previous quarter.
Know your number and watch it grow
Most business owners guess at their value. You'll know it with precision.
Our platform uses six proven valuation methodologies to give you a complete picture of what your business is worth today—and tracks how that number changes month over month. No more waiting for annual appraisals or paying $15K+ for outdated reports.
See your trends. Spot opportunities. Make informed decisions
What Actually Drives Orthodontics Practice Value
Your clinical expertise matters, but sophisticated buyers evaluate these factors that determine premium pricing:
Case Starts
Strong Annual Case Volume
Case starts are the fundamental metric—how many new cases do you begin annually? Growing case starts demonstrate market demand and practice vitality. Track monthly starts over time; buyers want to see consistency or growth. Declining starts raise concerns about marketing or competitive pressure.
Declining starts = buyer concern
Average Case Fee
Market-Appropriate Pricing
What's your average fee per case? Average fee times case starts drives revenue. Practices maintaining healthy case fees demonstrate pricing power; practices discounting heavily to compete face margin pressure. Track your average fee and understand how it compares to market.
Low fees = margin pressure
Treatment Mix
Braces + Clear Aligners
Modern orthodontic practices offer both traditional braces and clear aligners. Understanding your treatment mix helps assess market positioning. Heavy aligner-only may face more competition; braces-only may miss adult patients. Balanced capability serves broader patient base.
Limited options = market limits
Provider Coverage
Associate Orthodontist(s)
If you're the only orthodontist, patients come for you specifically—that's key person risk. Having an associate orthodontist who sees patients demonstrates capacity and improves transferability. Building associate relationships takes time but significantly increases practice value.
Solo orthodontist = key person risk
Pending Revenue
Healthy Pending Balance
Orthodontic practices have pending revenue—contracted case fees not yet collected. Strong pending balance represents future cash flow. Track your pending revenue carefully; it's a significant asset that factors into valuation. Low pending may indicate collection issues.
Low pending = cash flow questions
Multi-Location Potential
Satellite Offices or Expansion Room
Orthodontic practices often operate satellites to reach broader geography. Multiple locations demonstrate scalable model. Single location with expansion potential may also be attractive. Understanding your geographic strategy helps position for acquirers seeking footprint growth.
Single location = limited reach
How to Value an Orthodontics Practice
The U.S. orthodontics market includes approximately 10,000 practices generating over $15 billion in annual revenue. Orthodontic practices have unique valuation dynamics driven by their case-based revenue model and competitive pressures from clear aligner companies.
Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) is the standard valuation method. Orthodontic practices typically sell for 1.5x to 3.0x SDE. Practices at the higher end have multiple locations, strong new patient starts per month, and associate orthodontists who reduce owner dependence.
Revenue multiples for orthodontic practices generally range from 0.50x to 0.85x annual collections. Practices with high monthly new-patient-start counts (25+) and a healthy mix of comprehensive treatment cases demonstrate the growth trajectory that justifies premium multiples.
The unique valuation consideration in orthodontics is the treatment pipeline and competitive disruption. Unlike most dental specialties where revenue is generated at the time of service, orthodontic revenue is collected over 18-24 month treatment cycles. This creates a built-in revenue pipeline from cases already in progress — a valuable asset that transfers to the buyer. However, buyers also evaluate the competitive threat from direct-to-consumer clear aligner companies (SmileDirectClub's model) and general dentists offering Invisalign, which have compressed margins in some markets.
Orthodontic practice M&A has increased as multi-site operators and DSO platforms seek to add specialty services to their portfolios. Practices with efficient treatment protocols, strong community brand recognition, and diversified treatment options (braces, clear aligners, surgical orthodontics) are best positioned. Use our free calculator above to get your instant estimate, then track your value monthly with YourExitValue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What multiple do orthodontic practices sell for?
Orthodontic practices typically sell for 2.5x – 5.0x SDE or 4x – 8x EBITDA. Practices with strong case starts, associate coverage, and healthy pending revenue command premium multiples.
How do case starts affect orthodontic value?
Case starts are fundamental—they drive revenue. Growing starts demonstrate demand. Declining starts raise concerns about marketing or competition. Track monthly starts over time.
Who buys orthodontic practices?
DSOs (dental service organizations), orthodontic-focused platforms, individual orthodontists seeking established practices, and multi-specialty dental groups adding orthodontics.
Does having an associate affect value?
Significantly. Associate orthodontists reduce key person risk and demonstrate capacity. Solo practices are heavily owner-dependent, limiting transferability and value.
What is pending revenue and why does it matter?
Pending revenue is contracted case fees not yet collected. It represents future cash flow and factors into valuation. Strong pending balance is a significant asset.
What's the fastest way to increase my orthodontic practice value?
Three high-impact moves: 1) Grow case starts through marketing and referral development, 2) Add an associate orthodontist to reduce dependency, 3) Maintain healthy pending revenue through proper case acceptance.