Dental practice equipment appraisals.
A dental equipment appraisal from Lukes & Lukes is an independent, USPAP-compliant opinion of value for the whole practice: operatory chairs and delivery units, CBCT and digital imaging, intraoral scanners and CAD/CAM mills, sterilization, and any in-house lab. We value each category on its own resale market, by age, condition and technology generation, and we account for built-ins and which software actually conveys. Built to withstand lender, SBA, IRS, audit and legal review.
What we appraise
The practice, operatory by operatory.
We value the full practice, from a single operatory to a multi-location group, and we value each category on its own market. Technology generation moves value more than cosmetic condition.
- Operatories: chairs, delivery units, lights, stools and cabinetry per chair.
- Imaging: CBCT, panoramic and intraoral sensors and their software.
- Digital workflow: intraoral scanners, CAD/CAM mills and 3D printers.
- Sterilization: autoclaves, washers and infection-control equipment.
- Support and lab: compressors, vacuum and nitrous systems, and in-house lab.
What drives the value
Generation, software and built-ins.
A current intraoral scanner or CBCT holds value, while a unit two generations back sits well below its original cost regardless of how it looks. Age, condition and hours matter, as does whether imaging and CAD/CAM software conveys and remains supported. Built-ins, cabinetry, plumbing and wiring carry installation cost, and the cost to de-install and re-site equipment bears on what a buyer will actually pay.
How used dental equipment is valued
Used dental equipment is valued against what the same generation sells for on the secondary market, adjusted for condition, hours and any refurbishment. Chairs and delivery units have a deep used market. CBCT units and intraoral scanners have a narrower one, and their value follows the software generation. Cabinetry and built-ins have little resale market once removed, so their value turns on whether the premise assumes the practice keeps operating.
Which value applies
The right premise for the situation.
The same operatory carries different numbers depending on why you need the appraisal. We determine and defend the premise your situation requires.
Common questions
Answers, up front.
How do you value a dental practice's equipment?
A certified appraiser values each category (operatories, imaging, digital workflow, sterilization, support) by age, condition, technology generation and the resale market for that class, under USPAP. The report accounts for built-ins and the cost to remove and reinstall, and matches the value premise to the purpose of the appraisal.
Can you appraise the practice without closing the operatories?
Yes. The inspection moves operatory by operatory around the day's schedule. The items that take longest to establish are paperwork rather than chairside: the CBCT, mill and scanner license documents, and service records for the compressor and vacuum. Those usually come from the office manager while the inspection continues.
Is the value for a sale the same as for a loan?
No. A sale usually uses fair market value; a loan or SBA file usually uses a liquidation premise such as OLV or NOLV; an estate or partnership matter uses fair market value as of a specific date.
Will a practice-acquisition or SBA lender accept this?
It is written for that review. Operatory equipment, imaging and CAD/CAM are valued separately from goodwill and from leasehold improvements, which is the allocation a 7(a) practice purchase turns on. USPAP-compliant, signed by a NEBB-certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA).
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