How to Open a Dental Practice

In this episode, Arminco CEO Art Safarian speaks with Dr. Lior Tamir ( https://www.thedentalapp.com/ ), whose journey into dentistry took an unexpected turn. After graduating during the 2009 financial crisis and struggling to find work, he left dentistry and built a successful marketing technology company before returning to the profession. Today, he runs a multi-location dental group and shares h...

After seven deep dives into real estate, construction, legal review, CPAs, marketing, and consultants — we close the series by bringing it all together. This recap episode reinforces one central idea: We’re not saying brokers, contractors, attorneys, consultants, or banks are doing a bad job. We’re saying you need to understand how their roles overlap — and where confusion costs you time and money...

Marketing. Branding. Consultants. Gurus. In Part 7, we shift from legal and financial advisors to two areas that heavily influence dental startups: marketing strategy and practice consultants. This episode dives into: • The minimum marketing requirements every dental startup needs • Why marketing should not be cookie-cutter • How branding, design, and location must align • Why marketing dollars co...

Attorneys review leases. But who’s reviewing your construction contract? Who’s aligning your contractor’s agreement with your master lease? And when should your CPA actually be involved? In Part 6 of this series, we expand the conversation beyond lease review and dive into the broader professional team that shapes your dental startup. This episode covers: • Why every legally binding contract — not...

Attorneys. CPAs. Consultants. By the time you reach this stage of opening your dental practice, you’ve likely signed a proposal, negotiated major lease terms, and now you’re bringing in legal representation. But when exactly should an attorney get involved — and what is (and isn’t) their role? In Part 5, we break down: • When to involve a lease attorney in the process • What attorneys should be re...

You signed the lease. You love the test fit. You have a budget in mind. Now the real work begins. In Part 4 of this series, we dive into architectural drawings — and why this stage is where expectations, budgets, and reality often collide for dental startups. Many doctors mistake a test fit for a finalized design. But a test fit is exactly what it sounds like: a preliminary layout to see what fits...

In Part 3 of this series, we dive into one of the most overlooked risks in a dental startup: leasing a space “as-is” without truly understanding what that means. Many doctors assume that if HVAC units are present, they work. If a contractor walks the space, it’s been “inspected.” If the lease says the landlord provides something, it’s covered. That assumption can cost tens of thousands of dollars....

In Part 2 of this series, we move beyond real estate selection and into one of the most misunderstood areas of a dental startup: what happens after you find the space. Many doctors believe they’re negotiating aggressively or “double-checking” professionals — but in reality, they may be weakening their leverage, confusing contractors, and distorting pricing without realizing it. This episode breaks...

Opening a dental practice is one of the biggest financial decisions of your career — and yet many doctors approach commercial real estate the same way they bought their first home. In Part 1 of this series, we break down why that mindset can quietly sabotage your startup before it even begins. From using multiple brokers at the same time, to working with professionals who don’t understand healthca...

In this episode of How to Open a Dental Practice, Art sits down with Dr. Michael Gertsen, a South Florida general dentist who is in the middle of relocating and expanding a long-standing family practice. After operating in the same location for 25 years, Dr. Gertsen shares what it’s really like to purchase a commercial building, design a larger practice from the ground up, and plan for future grow...

Financing expert Dan Lewis from Huntington Bank delivers a data‑driven breakdown of how lenders evaluate dental startups and acquisitions—and the key financial indicators dentists must understand before choosing a path. Dan explains why banks view dental borrowers differently from other industries, what factors strengthen or weaken a loan application, and how new graduates, associates, and multi‑l...

Technology expert Dan De‑Steno dives into the operational and cybersecurity challenges dentists face when starting or acquiring a practice. With decades of experience supporting dental IT infrastructure, Dan outlines the hidden costs, risks, and long‑term implications of both paths—especially when it comes to outdated hardware, inconsistent data systems, network vulnerabilities, and HIPAA complian...

Dr. Ben Liu shares one of the most dynamic ownership journeys featured in this series—relocating to a new state, rapidly expanding across multiple locations, acquiring underperforming practices, and launching startups inside existing orthodontic spaces. His path includes buying distressed practices, relocating them, scaling from 2 ops to 5+, and using systems to turn stagnant offices into high‑gro...

In this episode, Rafael A. Martinez brings an operations and business‑systems perspective to the acquisition vs. startup conversation. Drawing on his extensive experience supporting dental practices, Rafael explains the operational blind spots that cause practices to underperform—and how buyers and new owners can use systems, leadership, and metrics to create immediate improvements. He highlights...

In this episode, Dr. Izzat Sebeih shares the story behind launching his large, 5,000 sq. ft. dental startup—built from scratch after a failed partnership opportunity pushed him to create his own path. Dr. Sebeih explains how he evaluated acquisition opportunities, why the numbers didn’t make sense for the practices he considered, and how his risk tolerance shaped his decision to open a fee‑for‑ser...

Dr. George Kreisheh shares his compelling journey from graduating dental school to opening a startup practice just one year later—followed by navigating COVID-19 within his first year of ownership. He explains why early acquisition opportunities felt overpriced, how he leveraged lender relationships, and why having a dual-income household allowed him to pursue startup ownership with confidence. Dr...

Marketing expert Michael Anderson of Wonderist Agency breaks down the critical role that marketing plays in the success of dental startups and acquisitions . With over a decade helping more than 800 practices grow, Michael explains why startups face immense pressure to generate new patients quickly, how to budget realistically for launch-stage marketing, and why the first 100 patients often determ...

Dr. Williams , a seasoned clinician with decades of academic and private practice experience, provides a historical and practical perspective on dental practice ownership. From building a multi-operatory faculty practice within a HUD building to growing alongside Baltimore’s Inner Harbor redevelopment, he explains how dentistry—and the process of opening or acquiring a practice—has evolved across...

Prosthodontist Dr. Harshit Aggarwal shares a data-driven, highly intentional journey into practice ownership—from relocating to the DC market, to evaluating cities nationwide, to purchasing a practice and later relocating it for growth. Dr. Aggarwal explains why he considered both startup and acquisition options , how his risk tolerance shaped his choice, and why cash flow was the deciding factor...

Dr. Rae Orraca-Tetten shares her journey from considering an acquisition to ultimately launching a successful dental startup that grew from 3 to 10 operatories . She explains why a startup was more cost‑effective for her personality, clinical style, and long-term goals—despite early recommendations to purchase the practice she worked in. Dr. Orraca-Tetten breaks down how she phased her buildout, a...

In this episode, Dr. Harry Snydman brings a rare dual perspective as both a long-time practice owner and a current dental practice broker. With over 27 years of ownership experience and a deep understanding of today’s transition market, Dr. Snydman explains what has changed—and what hasn’t—when comparing starting a dental practice from scratch versus purchasing an existing one . He shares the real...

Dr. Jesse Ritter shares his real-world journey of purchasing a dental practice in Towson, Maryland—including why he chose acquisition over a startup , how he evaluated opportunities, and what risk factors mattered most as a young dentist with student loans. He explains the importance of autonomy, owning your clinical decisions, and assessing the true stability of a seller’s patient base. Dr. Ritte...

Industry veteran Brian Frederick , with over 30 years in dental development, shares a high-level strategic view of when dentists should acquire a practice, when they should start one from scratch, and why the decision is rarely black-and-white . Brian explains how practice size, market demand, leasing strategy, and long-term growth planning shape the right path for each doctor. He also discusses w...

In this episode of How to Open a Dental Practice , banking expert Lori Riley breaks down the financial realities of acquiring a dental practice versus launching a startup . With 18 years of lending experience and deep expertise in dental acquisitions, Lori explains how banks evaluate risk, cash flow, borrower production history, practice profitability, and transition readiness. New dentists lookin...

In this episode, Arminco CEO Artin Safarian and Sara Reichenbach, Senior Consultant, speak with Dr. Madeleine Goodman of Harmony Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics in Bethesda. She is an orthodontist, entrepreneur, and the heart and soul behind Tiny Changes, a dental plastics recycling and sustainability initiative. Dr. Goodman shares not only her passion for creating sustainable change in the...