Foundation Dental Transitions
Two Perspectives. One Mission. Complete Protection.
Most Dentists Only Sell Once — While Buyers Do This Every Week.
That imbalance shapes every conversation, every negotiation, and every outcome. It creates pressure, confusion, and second-guessing that dentists were never meant to carry alone.
That pressure ends here.
We built Foundation Dental Transitions to level that field.
We had both seen too many dentists feel outnumbered, outmatched, and underserved — not because they lacked intelligence or experience, but because the transition world was built for buyers, not for doctors.
This is the story of how two very different paths converged into a new category: transition architecture.
It Started on Opposite Sides of the Table
More than a decade ago, Brian Mans led the DSO that acquired Dr. Jim Arnold’s practices — a high-stakes transaction that would change both of our paths forever.
Even in that moment, something was clear:
Empathy mattered. Integrity mattered.
Humanity mattered more than speed.
Jim was signing away an identity he spent years building.
Brian was leading a transaction that was strategically sound — but personally significant.
Despite being on opposite sides, the respect was immediate.
And that respect stayed long after the ink dried.
We Saw the Same Problem From Two Completely Different Angles
Dentists were outnumbered in every direction.
On one side:
• Analysts
• Attorneys
• Integrators
• Acquirers
• People who do this weekly
On the other side:
• A dentist doing this once
• Maybe the only time in their career
• Carrying the emotional, financial, and cultural weight alone
Traditional representation didn’t fix the imbalance.
Financial advisors, CPAs, brokers, and attorneys each handled pieces of the process — but no one protected the whole.
Dentists needed guidance that wasn’t fragmented or transactional.
They needed someone who could see the full picture: the numbers, the emotions, the culture, the leverage, the legacy.
That’s when the idea of a new category started to form.
Our Combined Experience is Your Foundation
To date, our partnership represents:
• 400+ cumulative transitions advised
• 60+ dentists personally guided by Jim through complete transitions
• 14× EBITDA strategic exit achieved — one of the highest multiples in the industry
• Multi-state dental platform built from the ground up
• Complete 360-degree perspective — we’ve been buyers, sellers, and advisors
No other dental transition advisory team has this dual-sided combination.
Two Journeys That Created One Solution
Brian's Path
Institutional Precision
Brian spent a decade leading acquisitions for one of the most successful DSO platforms in the country.
He learned exactly how buyers think, how they value practices, and how deals are structured to protect institutional interests.
But then he took on an even bigger challenge.
He left to co-found a multi-state dental support organization from the ground up — building a platform that executed a 14× EBITDA strategic exit in just four years, one of the highest multiples in the industry.
He didn’t just understand value creation.
He proved it.
He understands how platforms scale, how leverage works, and how deals look from 30,000 feet.
Jim's Path
Clinical Empathy
Dr. Jim Arnold built, grew, and sold multiple practices — experiencing firsthand what it feels like to let go of something deeply personal.
He knows what it’s like when your 14-year-old daughter asks if you’re sure about the decision the night before you sign.
He knows what it’s like to walk into your office the next morning — everything looks the same, but nothing feels the same.
Your name is still on the door, but the decisions are no longer yours.
That experience taught him what most advisors never see:
Selling a practice isn’t just financial.
It’s emotional.
It’s identity.
It’s legacy.
Jim later guided 60+ dentists through their transitions, helping them navigate not just the deal — but the human side of the decision.
Together
A Complete Perspective
Brian sees the deal from 30,000 feet.
Jim feels it from three inches away.
Institutional sophistication meets clinical empathy.
Strategy meets humanity.
Architecture replaces brokerage.
This dual-sided perspective became the foundation of something dentistry had never seen before.
Why We Built Foundation Dental Transitions
We didn’t build a brokerage.
We built a new category — transition architecture — because dentists needed a system that:
• Protects what they built
• Honors their culture
• Preserves their team
• Creates leverage instead of losing it
• Provides clarity instead of confusion
• Combines strategy with empathy
• Anticipates the emotional and identity shifts
• Ensures promises survive long after closing
Dentists deserve the same sophistication buyers bring to every deal — but with the humanity that only comes from people who’ve lived it.
A transition should not be endured.
A transition should be designed.
What We Built: A Dual-Sided Architecture
Foundation Dental Transitions isn’t a brokerage firm.
It’s a dual-sided architecture designed to protect dentists and empower buyers within one unified system.
We don’t list practices and hope for the best.
We engineer outcomes that protect legacy, preserve culture, and create sustainable value on both sides.
For Sellers:
We bring the same sophistication buyers use — but apply it entirely to your advantage.
We create competitive dynamics that maximize leverage.
We pre-qualify every buyer for integrity, not just capital.
And we stay through integration to ensure promises are kept.
For Buyers:
We provide access to prepared, transparent sellers who arrive emotionally ready and operationally aligned.
That means faster due diligence, predictable timelines, smoother integrations, and better long-term performance.
This is what happens when transition architects replace traditional brokers.
What This Means for Dentists
When you work with transition architects instead of traditional brokers:
You gain clarity.
Not a list of offers — a designed process.
You gain control.
Your timing. Your values. Your priorities.
You gain protection.
Your team, your culture, your patients.
You gain leverage.
Competitive dynamics engineered intentionally — not left to chance.
You gain continuity.
The right buyer, for the right reasons, on the right terms.
You gain a true finish.
A transition that honors everything you built, not just what it’s worth.
Our Belief Is Simple
Ready to Talk About Your Next Chapter?
Because we don’t just help dentists sell practices — we help them finish well, with clarity, confidence, and legacy intact.
Your practice deserves more than a listing.
Your future deserves more than a commission.
Your legacy deserves more than a term sheet.
It deserves architecture.
It deserves intention.
It deserves protection.
And it deserves guidance from people who’ve lived both sides of the table.
That’s why we built Foundation Dental Transitions.
Because no dentist should ever go through the most important decision of their career without someone who understands the business — and the heart behind it.
Whether you’re curious, planning ahead, or ready now — everything begins with clarity.
No pressure. No obligation. Just an honest, confidential conversation.
Explore More
Meet Dr. Jim Arnold – Learn about Jim’s journey from dentist to transition architect
Meet Brian Mans – Discover Brian’s buy-side expertise and entrepreneurial success
For Sellers – See how we help dentists finish well with clarity and confidence
For Buyers – See how we help vision-driven buyers acquire strategically
Foundation Dental Alliance – Discover the broader ecosystem supporting dentists at every career stage
Foundation Dental Transitions
Where clarity, confidence, and legacy converge.
Serving dentists nationwide across all 50 states.
info@FoundationDentalTransitions.com
(618) 554-8042