How long does it take to buy a dental practice?
From the first conversation with a broker to closing, most buyers take four to nine months. From a signed letter of intent to closing, 60 to 120 days is typical. Financing approval and the lease assignment are the two steps that most often stretch the timeline, and both can be shortened by work done before you ever make an offer.
Phase by phase
| Phase | Typical | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Getting pre-qualified | 1–2 weeks | Lender reviews your credit, experience and production history. |
| Searching and signing NDAs | 2 weeks – 6 months | Entirely dependent on inventory in your market. |
| Reviewing financials and visiting | 1–3 weeks | Tax returns, year-to-date P&L, production by provider, an after-hours walkthrough. |
| Letter of intent | 3–10 days | Non-binding; sets price, structure and the diligence window. |
| Due diligence and financing | 30–60 days | Charts, equipment, payer mix, staff, and the loan commitment. |
| Lease assignment | 2–8 weeks, in parallel | Landlord consent runs on the landlord's schedule, not yours. |
| Purchase agreement and closing | 2–4 weeks | Attorneys draft, escrow closes, transition plan agreed. |
What you can do before you find the practice
Get the lender pre-qualification. It costs you nothing, it tells you what is in reach, and it removes weeks from the back half.
Line up an attorney who has closed dental transactions and a CPA who reads dental books. Finding them after a letter of intent is signed is how a 60-day window becomes 120.
Sign confidentiality agreements early with the brokers covering your market. Being on their list is how you see a practice in week one instead of week six.
What actually runs long
Financing. A clean approval moves in about a week once the package is in. Past that, something is unresolved and it is usually easier to find out by phone than by sending the file to another bank.
The lease. The landlord is not a party to your purchase and has no deadline of their own. Their consent to an assignment is on their schedule, which is why it gets started early rather than at signing.
See the listings
Related questions
Every figure on this page is counted from the listings published on The Dental Practice Market and was rebuilt Sep 11, 2026. Supply-side only: we publish how many practices are listed, where and of what type. We never publish an estimate of what a practice is worth.
Practice identity and location are never disclosed on this site. Contact the listing broker and sign an NDA for full details.