In this episode, Howard Farran sits down with Brian Hanks, MBA, CFP — a national dental transitions expert, author, accountant, and Certified Financial Planner who has been directly involved in hundreds of dental practice transitions across all fifty states. Through his firm, Dental Buyer Advocates, Brian works exclusively with buyers, guiding them through due diligence, negotiation, financing, and transition. He joins the show to explain what recent turbulence in private credit markets could mean for dental practice valuations.

The conversation starts with the Blue Owl private credit situation and why a fund halting redemptions matters to everyday dentists. Brian explains how private equity and private credit have fueled the dental acquisition boom, and what happens when that fuel gets more expensive — specifically how EBITDA multiples compress as borrowing costs rise, and what that looks like in real dollar terms for a selling dentist. He also addresses why changes in credit markets typically take 12 to 24 months to show up in practice valuations, and how to tell whether the current moment is the start of a genuine shift or just a temporary blip.

From there, Brian offers practical guidance for both sides of the market: what dentists thinking about selling in the next few years should be doing right now, how a cooling acquisition market can create real opportunity for buyers, and the early warning signs brokers and advisors are already watching — longer timelines, fewer bidders, and more selective buyers. He closes with the single biggest mistake dentists make when selling, what a truly well-prepared practice looks like to a serious buyer today, and where he thinks valuations are headed over the next 24 months.

Episode #1717 : Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran, Howard sits down with Brian Hanks, MBA, CFP — national dental transitions expert, author, and founder of Dental Buyer Advocates — to unpack what recent turbulence in private credit markets could mean for dental practice valuations.

Most dentists have never heard of Blue Owl. Brian explains why they should care — how rising borrowing costs compress EBITDA multiples, what that means in real dollars for a selling dentist, and why credit market shifts take 12–24 months to show up in what your practice is worth.

🎧 Essential listening for any dentist thinking about buying or selling in the next few years.

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