Texas Dental Law: How Cohen Law Firm Helps
Cohen Law Firm, PLLC represents Texas dentists and dental specialists from our Dallas office. With 300+ dental practice transactions per year nationwide, we focus exclusively on the legal needs of dental professionals — practice acquisitions, sales, DSO transactions, partnerships, associateships, leases, and Texas Dental Practice Act compliance. Schedule a Texas dental law consultation.
Texas Dental Law We Handle Every Day
Texas dental law has unique features that out-of-state firms often miss. We focus on the specific Texas statutes and regulations that affect every transaction:
- Texas Dental Practice Act (Chapter 256, Texas Occupations Code) — ownership restrictions, licensure requirements, and what a non-dentist investor can and cannot do under Texas law.
- Corporate Practice of Dentistry Prohibition — Texas prohibits non-licensees from owning a clinical dental practice. DSO transactions in Texas require a two-entity structure: a Professional Entity (owned by Texas-licensed dentists) for clinical services and a Management Services Organization (DSO) for business operations, linked by a Management Services Agreement (MSA).
- Texas Non-Compete Law (§15.50-15.52, Business & Commerce Code) — Texas courts will enforce reasonable non-competes but apply blue-pencil review to overbroad geographic scope, term, or activity restrictions. We draft and negotiate restrictions that survive judicial scrutiny.
- Texas Medicaid & CHIP Dental Acquisitions — change-of-ownership notifications, provider re-credentialing, and continuity-of-care obligations for practices serving Medicaid populations.
- Texas Dental Office Leasing & Real Estate — Texas commercial lease law, tenant improvement allowances, and dental-specific build-out coordination. See our dental office lease attorney page for the full Texas lease framework.
Services for Texas Dentists
- Dental practice sales & acquisitions — buy-side and sell-side representation across DFW, Houston, Austin, and statewide
- DSO transactions — joint ventures, equity rollover, recapitalizations with two-entity Texas structuring
- Dental partnerships — formation, buy-ins, dissolution, and dispute resolution
- Employment contracts & associateships — Texas non-compete drafting, restrictive covenant negotiation
- Dental office lease & real estate — Texas commercial lease review, purchase, and lease assignment on sale
- Vendor & contract review — DSO management agreements, employment contracts, supply contracts
- Practice transitions — retirement planning, partner buy-out, generational succession
Cohen Law Firm — Dallas Office
Cohen Law Firm, PLLC
Dallas, Texas
Phone: 972-695-9359
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00am–6:00pm CT
Service area: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and all of Texas
Schedule a Texas dental law consultation →
Frequently Asked Questions — Texas Dental Law
Can a non-dentist own a dental practice in Texas?
No. Texas prohibits the corporate practice of dentistry — only Texas-licensed dentists can own clinical dental practices. Non-dentist investors (including DSOs) operate through a two-entity structure: a Professional Entity owned by licensed dentists for clinical services, plus a Management Services Organization for business support functions, connected by a Management Services Agreement.
How long should a Texas dental associate non-compete be?
Texas courts enforce non-competes that protect a legitimate business interest with reasonable scope. Most enforceable dental associate non-competes are 1–2 years in duration with a geographic radius of 5–15 miles from each office where the associate practiced. Courts will blue-pencil overbroad clauses rather than void them, but well-drafted clauses survive judicial review without modification.
Do I need a separate entity to buy a Texas dental practice?
For most buyers, yes — a Texas Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) or Professional Corporation (PC) provides liability protection and tax efficiency while satisfying the Texas Dental Board’s ownership requirements. The entity must be owned exclusively by Texas-licensed dentists. We handle entity formation as part of every Texas practice acquisition.
What’s the difference between a Texas DSO deal and a traditional dental practice sale?
In a traditional sale, the buyer is another dentist who acquires both the clinical practice and the business operations. In a Texas DSO transaction, the seller typically retains a Professional Entity (clinical) while selling the management/business assets to the DSO and entering into a long-term Management Services Agreement. DSO deals also commonly include equity rollover where the seller takes DSO stock as part of consideration. See our DSO attorney page for the full structure.