Posts by Ed Gabriel
Dental Practice Value: What Is Your Practice Really Worth?
Many dental practice owners assume practice value is based primarily on production or collections. In 2026, that is becoming less true. Today’s buyers are paying much closer attention to profitability, operational efficiency, and long-term financial stability. Whether a practice owner plans to sell in the near future or not, understanding what drives practice value has become…
Read MoreSBA vs. Traditional Lending for Dentists: Which Loan Fits the Need?
Most dental practices hit a point where growth takes more cash than the business has. For an associate dentist, that might mean buying a practice and stepping into ownership. For an existing owner, it could mean adding operatories, replacing equipment, buying the building, refinancing debt, or bringing on a partner. Sometimes the need is more…
Read MoreHow Dental Revenue Cycle Management Impacts Your Profitability
For many dental practices, profitability challenges in 2026 are not coming from a lack of patients. They are coming from delays, inefficiencies, and breakdowns inside the revenue cycle. Production may look strong on paper. Schedules may remain full. But if collections are inconsistent, insurance claims are delayed, or billing systems are inefficient, profitability begins to suffer quietly…
Read MoreWhere Is Your Money Going? Understanding Overhead in a Dental Practice
Many dental practice owners are feeling the same pressure in 2026: The schedule is full. Production appears healthy. Patients are still coming in. Yet profitability feels tighter than it should. In many cases, the reason comes down to overhead. Over the last several years, rising wages, inflation, supply costs, insurance pressures, and operational inefficiencies have steadily…
Read MoreTax Planning Strategies for Dental Practice Owners in 2026
For many dental practice owners, tax planning has become more complicated and more important than ever in 2026. Rising operating costs, changing tax provisions, and continued economic uncertainty are forcing practice owners to think more strategically about how they manage taxable income, major purchases, and long-term financial decisions. The challenge is that many dentists still approach taxes…
Read MoreThe True Cost of Hiring in a Dental Practice Right Now
For many dental practice owners, staffing has become one of the biggest financial pressures in 2026. Wages are rising. Competition for hygienists and assistants remains intense. At the same time, practices are trying to maintain profitability while continuing to deliver a high level of patient care. Most owners know staffing costs are increasing. What is harder to see is how those…
Read MoreAre You Properly Insured Against Employee Theft in Your Dental Practice?
Most dental practice owners carry insurance. Property coverage, liability policies, workers compensation. It feels comprehensive. Yet one of the most common and financially damaging risks in a dental office is often underinsured or overlooked entirely: employee theft. Embezzlement in dentistry is not rare. In fact, it is one of the most frequent causes of unexpected…
Read MoreMembership Plans vs. PPOs: What Dentists Need to Know Before Making the Switch
As subscription dentistry continues to grow, many dental practice owners are re-evaluating the role PPOs play in their business model. Rising write-offs, shrinking reimbursement rates, and increasing administrative complexity have pushed dentists to consider alternatives—most notably, in-house membership plans. These plans offer predictable revenue, simpler fee structures, and more control over patient relationships. But transitioning…
Read MoreChanges to the Business Meals Deduction
As we move into 2026, a major shift in the tax landscape has officially taken effect — and it impacts any business that provides meals to employees. For years, meals provided “for the convenience of the employer” were partially deductible. That is no longer the case. The Big Change Starting in 2026, meals provided on…
Read MoreStrategic Credentialing: Protection from Low Fees Starts on Day One
When a dentist acquires a practice, the big questions are easy to spot: What’s it worth? How is it financed? What does this mean for taxes? But one early decision often flies under the radar—and quietly shapes profitability for years: credentialing. Not just getting enrolled, but doing it strategically. Credentialing sets the financial baseline of…
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