Inheriting a dental team: what the first year after you buy a practice needs from you
Dani Foster · Director of Practice Strategy · March 8, 2027
The hygienist has been with the clinic for 19 years. The dental assistant has already asked whether her hours will change. Everyone is doing their job well, and everyone is quietly wondering what the new owner will be like.
An established team is one of the most valuable things you buy with a practice. They know the patients, the routines and the history of every quirk in the building. How the relationship develops in the first year shapes whether that knowledge stays with the practice. This article covers what an inherited team needs from a new owner, and what to get right early.
The team is getting to know you too
When you buy a clinic, the team doesn't sign anything. They get to know the new owner over the first few months, the same way you get to know them. Most will stay for years. The ones who feel informed and respected in the first months are the ones who stay longest.
What an inherited team usually wants to know
- Will my hours, pay or benefits change?
- Will the way we do things change, and when?
- Who do I go to with questions now?
- Is the practice going to grow, shrink or stay the same?
- Does the new owner know what I do here?
Answering those questions early, even when the answer is "nothing changes for now," does more for retention than any team lunch.
"We've always done it this way" is information
Every new owner hears some version of "the last doctor liked it done this way." It's usually the team explaining how things work, not resisting change. Treat it as a briefing. Some routines are worth keeping, and the team can tell you why. Others exist only because nobody questioned them, and those are easier to change once people trust you.
Get the basics right in the first 90 days
- Meet everyone one to one. Ask what they do, what works and what frustrates them.
- Change little at first, and say so. Stability buys you the trust you'll need for the changes that matter.
- Be clear about who decides what. Uncertainty about authority causes more friction than any single decision.
- Check your obligations. In Ontario, for example, staff kept on after a sale keep their prior service with the seller for entitlements such as notice and severance. Your lawyer can confirm the rules in your province.
When a seat does open
If someone leaves in the first year, the hire that replaces them matters more than usual. It's the first hiring decision the rest of the team watches you make, and it tells them what kind of owner you are. Hire for the role the clinic needs now, and involve the people who will work alongside the new person.
FAQ: Inheriting a dental team
What happens to dental staff when a practice is sold?
It depends on how the sale is structured and on provincial employment standards. In Ontario, employees the buyer keeps on generally keep their service with the seller for entitlements such as notice and severance. Confirm the details for your province with your lawyer.
Should a new owner change things right away?
Change as little as you can at first, and explain what you're keeping and why. Early stability builds the trust that later changes depend on.
How do I keep long-tenured staff after buying a practice?
Learn what they do, ask for their view of the practice, and be clear about what will and won't change. People stay where they feel informed and valued.
When a role does open, Mint Ops Recruitment fills dental positions across Canada, from hygienists and assistants to office managers and associate dentists, for a flat fee agreed before the search begins, never a percentage of salary. Every search starts with a conversation about your clinic and the team the new person will join.