By Danielle 
As the number of practising dentists has grown, solo practice ownership in Canada has steadily declined. Recent surveys show only about one-third of dentists now operate solo practices, according to the Canadian Dental Association (CDA).
More than half report working alongside two or more other dentists, the CDA added.
The CDA also outlined the historical shift in practice models:
- 1960s: The predominant model was solo practice, with one dentist owning and operating a clinic.
- 1970s: Group practices began to emerge, with two or more dentists working together.
- 1980s: There was rapid growth in owner-associate arrangements, where multiple dentists collaborated under various ownership structures.
Several factors are influencing this shift, particularly among early-career dentists. These include:
- Rising student debt
- Changing work-life priorities
- The availability of newer practice models
“These factors all shape career paths and the timing of contemplating direct ownership,” the CDA said. “Similarly, experienced dentists are reassessing ownership versus non-ownership more than previous generations.”
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DSO growth Canada dental industry
Canada is also seeing growth in Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), similar to trends in the United States. Dentalcorp, the country’s largest corporate dental network, reported acquiring 30 new practices in 2024. As of its third-quarter investor update that year, the company owned 550 practices and was in the process of acquiring another 160.
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U.S. comparison
In June, the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute (HPI) released data showing that while younger U.S. dentists are slower to become practice owners, most eventually do. The report found that:
- 21 per cent of dentists who graduated between 2016 and 2020 owned practices
- 33 per cent of those who graduated between 2011 and 2015 were owners
- 63 to 70 per cent of dentists who graduated in 2010 or earlier had become owners by the same point in their careers
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When asked about comparable data in Canada, the CDA urged caution.
“Using survey data from multiple sources that is self-reported is more challenging to interpret than the longstanding survey of the ADA,” the association said. “This means that direct comparisons with U.S. trends are both difficult and potentially inaccurate due to the bias associated with self-reported information.”
Still, the CDA noted that solo practice ownership in Canada appears to be “lower than U.S. figures.”
A 2022 study, however, involving 3,232 Canadian dentists (21.9 per cent response rate) found:
- 51.7 per cent worked in group private practices
- 41.9 per cent in solo private practices
- 6.4 per cent in non-private settings
These figures suggest that while solo practice remains a significant model, nuanced data is needed to fully understand ownership trends as dentists gain experience.