{"id":362,"date":"2026-09-12T05:02:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T05:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/dso-vs-independent-practice-ownership\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T05:02:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T05:02:29","slug":"dso-vs-independent-practice-ownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/dso-vs-independent-practice-ownership\/","title":{"rendered":"DSO vs. Independent Ownership: A Guide to 4 Practice Models"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>Four distinct ownership models exist beyond the simple DSO-versus-independent split. Each carries different financial, clinical, and lifestyle outcomes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Independent owners can often earn more than DSO-employed dentists, while DSO equity partners may see additional upside from rollover equity at a future recapitalization event.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Clinical autonomy and administrative burden vary widely across models. Independent owners keep full control but carry the entire operational load, while DSO affiliation can reduce that load in exchange for some loss of control.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>DSO equity deals involve meaningful platform risk, including illiquid equity and possible bankruptcy exposure, so careful due diligence on the DSO matters before signing.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>McLerran &amp; Associates provides side-by-side valuations and guidance so owners can align the ownership model with their goals and practice profile.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Is A DSO And How Does It Work?<\/h2>\n<p>A Dental Service Organization (DSO) is a management entity that provides non-clinical administrative and operational services, such as billing, HR, marketing, compliance, and IT, to affiliated dental practices under a long-term contract. The licensed dentist retains clinical authority, but the DSO typically owns the physical assets and provides operational services under a management services agreement (MSA) that can run 20 to 40 years.<\/p>\n<p>A critical distinction that many articles conflate involves employment versus ownership. Being <em>employed by<\/em> a DSO means no ownership stake and salary-based compensation. <em>Selling to<\/em> a DSO means transferring practice ownership in exchange for cash, equity, or both. The financial outcomes of these two arrangements diverge significantly. Understanding that difference forms the starting point for any serious transition conversation.<\/p>\n<h2>The Four Ownership Models Explained<\/h2>\n<p>From that foundation, four distinct ownership models emerge, and each carries its own trade-offs. The table below summarizes each across five key dimensions.<\/p>\n<table style=\"min-width: 125px;\">\n<colgroup>\n<col style=\"min-width: 25px;\">\n<col style=\"min-width: 25px;\">\n<col style=\"min-width: 25px;\">\n<col style=\"min-width: 25px;\">\n<col style=\"min-width: 25px;\"><\/colgroup>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Dimension<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Dso Associate<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Dso Equity Partner<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Doctor-Owned + Dso Support<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<th colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Fully Independent<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Ownership<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>None (employee)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Partial (10\u201340% retained)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Full (contracts for services)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Full<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Clinical Control<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Limited by protocols<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Moderate<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>High<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Complete<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Income Potential<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentalpracticeinsider.org\/how-much-do-dentists-make\">Salary + bonus; lower ceiling<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Cash at close + equity upside at recap<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Practice profits minus management fees<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentalpracticeinsider.org\/how-much-do-dentists-make\">All practice profits<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Admin Burden<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>None<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Low\u2013moderate<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Moderate<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>High<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p><strong>Exit Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>None (employment)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Second exit at platform recap (typically 3\u20137 years)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Retains full sale option<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">\n<p>Full sale on owner&#8217;s timeline<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Dso Associate<\/h3>\n<p>The DSO associate works as an employee with no ownership stake. Compensation tends to be predictable, and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentalpracticeinsider.org\/how-much-do-dentists-make\">DSO-employed dentists typically receive guaranteed base salaries plus production bonuses, with total compensation packages frequently ranging from $160,000 to $220,000<\/a>. Administrative burden is essentially zero. The trade-off involves a capped upside and limited clinical autonomy. This model suits early-career dentists building skills, yet for an established owner generating $1M or more in annual revenue, it usually represents a significant step down in both income and control.<\/p>\n<h3>Dso Equity Partner<\/h3>\n<p>The DSO equity partner sells the practice but retains an ownership stake, with a typical range of 10\u201340% equity retained. The seller receives a mix of cash at close and equity in the DSO platform or a joint venture. This structure can concentrate real long-term wealth potential, and it also introduces the greatest complexity and risk.<\/p>\n<p>The equity portion is illiquid and converts to cash only when the DSO itself sells or recapitalizes, which typically occurs 3 to 7 years after the initial deal closes. Owners benefit from understanding the full structure of this model and carefully vetting the platform behind it before signing anything.<\/p>\n<h3>Doctor-Owned Practice With Dso Support<\/h3>\n<p>This hybrid model keeps practice ownership with the dentist while outsourcing administrative functions to a DSO or management services organization. The owner pays management fees, often 15 to 25% of collections for a DSO arrangement, in exchange for relief from billing, HR, and compliance burdens. This model remains less common but continues to grow as owners seek operational support without surrendering equity. It also preserves the full sale option later.<\/p>\n<h3>Fully Independent Owner<\/h3>\n<p>With no DSO affiliation, the owner has complete autonomy over clinical decisions, vendor relationships, staffing, and culture. All practice profits flow to the owner. That autonomy comes at a cost, because the entire administrative and business burden falls on the owner, from the 7 a.m. phone calls to staffing problems and the sense that everything depends on one person. Owners who have built premier practices and are approaching a transition can still see strong valuations in the private-buyer market.<\/p>\n<h2>Financial Comparison: Income, Equity, And Long-Term Wealth<\/h2>\n<p>The financial picture across these models can be more nuanced than headline income averages suggest. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentalpracticeinsider.org\/how-much-do-dentists-make\">ADA data shows independent practice owners generally earn more than DSO-employed dentists<\/a>. Those figures, however, do not capture the full economic picture of a DSO equity deal, where a major wealth event may occur years later at a recapitalization.<\/p>\n<h3>Paths To Earning $500,000 Or More<\/h3>\n<p>Independent owners of premier practices can routinely reach or exceed $500,000 through practice profits and distributions. DSO equity partners can also approach that level when combining ongoing clinical compensation with equity appreciation at a recapitalization event. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/bizmetricshq.com\/industries\/healthcare\/dental-practice\/reports\/dental-practice-owner-compensation-2026\">Multi-location owners can earn $450,000\u2013$750,000 or more, though they carry management overhead and acquisition debt.<\/a> DSO associates rarely reach that threshold. Ownership structure often becomes the single largest lever on long-term income.<\/p>\n<h3>What A DSO Equity Deal Involves<\/h3>\n<p>A DSO equity deal, sometimes called a rollover equity deal, is a transaction structure in which the selling dentist receives a portion of the purchase price as an ownership stake in the acquiring DSO platform instead of cash. That stake is illiquid, has no public market, and cannot be sold until the DSO itself undergoes a liquidity event. As much as 40% of a DSO deal can be paid in equity rather than cash.<\/p>\n<p>The potential upside can be meaningful when the platform performs well. A dentist who rolls equity into a healthy DSO platform can see a 2 to 3x return on that stake at the recap event, sometimes more if the private equity cycle times favorably. The risk remains real, because several DSO platforms have filed for bankruptcy or undergone debt restructuring since 2022, and common equity holders in a distressed exit may receive nothing after preferred investors are paid first.<\/p>\n<p>The following is an <strong>illustrative example only, not a guarantee of any specific outcome<\/strong>. A practice generating $1.5M in collections at a 30% EBITDA margin (EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, which is a standard measure of a practice&#8217;s operating profitability) might receive a DSO offer with a total stated value of approximately $3.5M. That offer could include roughly $2.52M cash at close, $840,000 in rollover equity, and $140,000 in earnout. If the DSO platform grows and sells at a higher multiple in year 5, that equity could appreciate substantially. If the platform struggles, the equity could be worth far less. An independent owner who retains the practice and takes annual distributions can also accumulate meaningful wealth over the same period, though without a single liquidity event and with continued business risk. Owners benefit from consulting their own financial and tax advisors to model the specific outcomes for their situation.<\/p>\n<h2>Clinical Autonomy And Corporate Protocols<\/h2>\n<p>Clinical decision-making changes across ownership models and can be one of the main factors in an owner&#8217;s choice. Independent owners have full authority over treatment plans, materials, labs, and scheduling. DSO-affiliated dentists may face corporate protocols, production metrics, and standardized treatment approaches that shape the clinical environment even when no one explicitly dictates individual treatment decisions.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentistryselect.com\/why-independently-owned-dental-practices-matter\">ADA research found that dentists who left DSO-affiliated settings reported a 62% increase in satisfaction with clinical autonomy.<\/a> That data point matters for any owner who values the freedom to practice on their own terms.<\/p>\n<p>Autonomy can vary widely by organization. Some DSOs offer genuine clinical support and respect doctor judgment. Others impose rigid production quotas. Vetting the specific organization, rather than assuming all DSOs operate the same way, becomes one of the most important steps in any affiliation decision. McLerran &amp; Associates has blacklisted DSOs known for poor post-close environments so clients move only toward well-backed, well-run partners.<\/p>\n<h2>Administrative Burden And Work-Life Balance<\/h2>\n<h3>How DSO Affiliation Affects Daily Life<\/h3>\n<p>For many owners, administrative relief becomes the central reason to consider a DSO relationship. Independent owners carry the full weight of staffing, HR, payroll, IT, compliance, and marketing. The operational burden can feel heavy, and for owners who built their practices to focus on patient care, it often becomes the primary source of burnout. DSOs provide infrastructure support that can meaningfully change the day-to-day experience.<\/p>\n<p>That relief comes with trade-offs. Loss of control over hiring, scheduling, vendor selection, and practice culture can feel significant. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noindex nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentistryselect.com\/independent-vs-corporate-dentists-difference\">Dentists who left DSO settings reported a 53% increase in satisfaction with schedule flexibility<\/a>, which serves as a reminder that corporate support does not automatically create personal flexibility. The right answer depends on what the owner values most and on the specific terms of the affiliation agreement.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/contact-us\/\"><strong>Talk with McLerran &amp; Associates about your administrative relief options<\/strong><\/a> to see how different models could affect your workload and schedule.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"text-align: center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co\/1782231776232-426cf610db07.jpeg\" alt=\"A chat at McLerran &amp; Associates: the dental-specific sell-side advisor and advocate for practice owners guides on how, when, and to whom to sell your practice.\" style=\"max-height: 500px;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><em>A chat at McLerran &amp; Associates: the dental-specific sell-side advisor and advocate for practice owners guides on how, when, and to whom to sell your practice.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Risk And Exit Strategy<\/h2>\n<p>Each ownership model carries its own mix of risk and exit options. Independent ownership involves ongoing business risk but offers full upside and complete control over timing. DSO affiliation can provide liquidity, sometimes at a premium to what the private-buyer market would pay, while tying up a meaningful share of wealth in illiquid equity that depends on the platform&#8217;s success.<\/p>\n<p>DSO deals typically require a 2 to 5 year post-close working agreement, which can affect retirement timelines in ways owners sometimes underestimate. Earnouts, which represent the portion of the purchase price tied to hitting post-close performance targets, add another layer of contingency. Once a DSO deal closes, the DSO controls the operational and financial infrastructure of the practice, including how revenue is recognized and what costs are allocated, and those choices directly affect the EBITDA used to measure the earnout.<\/p>\n<p>Platform risk also plays a role. The bankruptcy risk mentioned earlier illustrates how rolled equity in a distressed platform can be worth significantly less than the entry price. Underwriting the DSO like an investment, including examining its profitability, growth trajectory, management team, and financial backing, can help owners make more informed decisions about any equity deal.<\/p>\n<h2>Decision Framework: Questions To Ask Yourself<\/h2>\n<p>Before choosing a path, consider these questions honestly. Your answers can clarify which model aligns with your priorities.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p>What is my primary goal: maximum liquidity now, ongoing income, lifestyle improvement, or legacy?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>How much do I value clinical autonomy compared with administrative support?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>What is my risk tolerance, and can I accept illiquid equity that may not pay out for 5 to 7 years and could be worth less than expected if the platform struggles?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Am I ready to transition, and on what timeline, given that a DSO deal typically requires a multi-year post-close commitment?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>How do my practice size and specialty affect my options, since larger practices and certain specialties tend to command stronger DSO interest and higher valuation ranges?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Have I seen a true side-by-side valuation that quantifies what my practice is worth in both the private-buyer and DSO markets, or am I reacting to a single offer?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion: Choosing Among The Four Ownership Models<\/h2>\n<p>The decision between DSO affiliation and independent ownership spans a spectrum of four models, each with distinct financial, clinical, and lifestyle trade-offs. The right choice can depend on your goals, your practice&#8217;s specific economics, and your tolerance for risk and administrative responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Because McLerran &amp; Associates works both transition paths in roughly equal measure, the firm can provide a true side-by-side valuation and show what your practice may be worth in both markets. That perspective helps you choose with fuller information rather than relying on a single offer.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"text-align: center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aigrowthmarketer.co\/1782231581955-2aa75d9d4697.jpeg\" alt=\"McLerran &amp; Associates team: McLerran is the nation's largest dental-specific sell-side M&amp;A advisory and brokerage firms\" style=\"max-height: 500px;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><figcaption><em>McLerran &amp; Associates team: McLerran is the nation&#8217;s largest dental-specific sell-side M&amp;A advisory and brokerage firms<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/contact-us\/\"><strong>Start planning your transition with a free discovery call from McLerran &amp; Associates<\/strong><\/a>, or call (512) 900-7989 or email info@dentaltransitions.com. Whether a transition sits on your horizon now or years away, gaining clarity on your options today can be a key step toward a stronger outcome.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What Is The Difference Between A Dso Associate And A Dso Equity Partner?<\/h3>\n<p>A DSO associate is an employee of a DSO-affiliated practice with no ownership stake. Compensation is salary-based, often with production bonuses, and administrative burden is minimal, but upside remains limited. There is no equity to appreciate and no exit event to anticipate beyond continued employment.<\/p>\n<p>A DSO equity partner has sold the practice to a DSO but retained an ownership stake in exchange for a mix of cash at close and equity in the platform. That equity is illiquid and converts to cash only when the DSO itself sells or recapitalizes, which can take several years. The potential upside can be meaningfully higher than the associate path, and the complexity and risk also increase. Owners considering a DSO equity deal can benefit from treating the equity component as a speculative, illiquid investment and vetting the platform accordingly, including its profitability, growth, management team, and financial backing.<\/p>\n<h3>How Does Dso Rollover Equity Work, And What Are The Risks?<\/h3>\n<p>Rollover equity, sometimes called rolled equity, is the portion of a DSO deal paid as an ownership stake in the acquiring platform instead of cash. It is typically structured as common equity or common equivalent units in a private holding company backed by a private equity sponsor. Because the equity is private, it has no public market, and the only way to convert it to cash is through a triggering event such as a platform sale, recapitalization, or IPO, which may be several years away and is not guaranteed.<\/p>\n<p>The risks can be meaningful. Common equity holders sit below preferred equity investors in the capital structure, so in a distressed exit, preferred investors are paid first and common holders may receive little or nothing. Management fees, cost allocations, and earnout definitions can all be adjusted post-close in ways that affect the value of the equity indirectly. In a recapitalization, which is the most common liquidity event, sellers may be required to roll some equity into the new structure, potentially delaying full monetization further. Owners often benefit from reviewing the full cap table, understanding liquidation preferences, and negotiating information rights and anti-dilution protections before closing any equity deal, ideally with input from a dental-specific M&amp;A attorney and a fee-only financial planner.<\/p>\n<h3>How Do I Know Whether To Sell To A Private Buyer Or Affiliate With A Dso?<\/h3>\n<p>The answer can depend on several factors, including your practice&#8217;s size and profitability, your personal goals, your timeline, and your risk tolerance. As a general framework, smaller premier practices in roughly the $1M to $1.5M annual revenue range often fit well with a doctor-to-doctor sale, where a qualified individual buyer acquires the practice and the seller exits after a short transition period. The largest practices, particularly those with multiple locations or strong EBITDA, tend to attract the most competitive DSO interest and can command premium valuations in that market.<\/p>\n<p>Owners in the middle, roughly $1.5M to $3M in annual revenue, are often genuinely able to pursue either path and can benefit most from seeing a true side-by-side valuation that quantifies their worth in both markets before deciding. A structured, competitive process run by a sell-side advisor who works both paths often produces stronger outcomes than reacting to a single inbound offer anchored at a buyer-selected number.<\/p>\n<h3>What Should I Look For When Evaluating A Dso Before Affiliating?<\/h3>\n<p>Vetting a DSO closely resembles evaluating any investment, because in an equity deal, that is effectively what you are doing. Key questions include whether the DSO&#8217;s overall platform is profitable and whether revenue is still growing at the offices it already owns. The management team&#8217;s track record also matters, including whether they have successfully navigated a full private equity cycle before. Owners can also review who the private equity sponsor is, what that sponsor&#8217;s history with dental platforms looks like, how the platform&#8217;s debt load compares with its earnings, and what dentists who have already affiliated say about the post-close experience.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the platform itself, the specific terms of the deal can shape the realized outcome. The definition of EBITDA used to calculate earnouts, the management fee structure, the non-compete radius and duration, the equity level in the cap table, and the information rights retained post-close can all affect results. A dental-specific sell-side advisor who has vetted the buyer pool and blacklisted organizations known for poor post-close environments can be one of the most valuable resources in this process.<\/p>\n<h3>How Long Does It Take To Sell A Dental Practice, And When Should I Start Planning?<\/h3>\n<p>The timeline varies by path and by how prepared the practice is at the outset. A doctor-to-doctor sale can close relatively quickly once the right buyer is identified. A DSO transaction typically involves a more extended process, from initial outreach through due diligence to closing, that can run several months, followed by a post-close employment commitment of multiple years.<\/p>\n<p>The more important consideration involves when to start planning rather than when to start selling. Exit-grade preparation, which includes normalizing financial statements, reducing owner dependence, documenting systems, reviewing lease runway, and understanding the tax implications of different deal structures, ideally begins several years before any intended transaction. Owners who start this work early tend to achieve stronger outcomes than those who begin only when a buyer comes calling. A preliminary practice valuation, updated periodically, gives owners a clear picture of where they stand and which levers can move the number before going to market.<\/p>\n<h2>Read Next<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/doctor-to-doctor-vs-dso\">Doctor-to-Doctor vs DSO Dental Transition: Pros &amp; Cons<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/pros-cons-dental-practice-dso\">Pros and Cons of Selling Your Dental Practice to a DSO<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/vet-dso-partners-dental-practice\">How to Vet DSO Partners Before Selling Your Dental Practice<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/dso-vs-private-sale-dental\">DSO vs Private Sale: Which Fits Your Dental Practice?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Compare all 4 dental ownership models\u2014DSO or independent\u2014with McLerran &#038; Associates. Get expert guidance to choose the path that fits your goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dentaltransitions.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}