About Tanner Management

Who We Are

Tanner Management is a dental practice consulting firm specializing in practice acquisitions, operational due diligence, practice growth, and management strategy. We work with dentists nationwide who are buying practices, optimizing existing operations, or navigating major transitions.

We're not a large consulting firm with corporate overhead. We're a focused team of experienced consultants who work directly with dentist-owners. You work with actual consultants, not junior staff or offshore support. We're invested in your success, not in billable hours.

Our Founding Principle

Dental practice consulting should be built on operational and clinical reality, not just financial spreadsheets. Most dental advisors focus exclusively on numbers: valuation multiples, production targets, profit margins. Those factors matter, but they miss the operational fundamentals that actually determine whether a practice will succeed.

Our founding principle is that you understand a dental practice by looking at how it operates clinically and administratively, not just by analyzing financials. A practice can look profitable on paper but be operationally broken. Conversely, a practice with solid operational fundamentals often becomes more profitable than the numbers suggest once you implement your systems.

This operational focus is what differentiates Tanner Management. We evaluate clinical workflows, team dynamics, patient relationships, and systems as much as we evaluate financial performance. This gives our clients a complete picture of what they're buying or building.

Our Services

We provide comprehensive consulting across the full spectrum of practice acquisition and management:

• Dental Practice Acquisition Consulting - Full guidance from target identification through closing
• Dental Practice Due Diligence - Deep-dive verification of practices you're considering
• Practice Growth Consulting - Optimization and scaling of acquired or existing practices
• Insurance Strategy & PPO Analysis - Strategic insurance participation decisions
• Dental Practice Management - Ongoing operational and financial guidance

Our Team

JoAnne Tanner, MBA

Founder and Principal Consultant. 30+ years of dental practice consulting and management experience. JoAnne has personally guided over 100 dentists through successful practice acquisitions. She brings deep expertise in operational due diligence, team development, and growth strategy.

JoAnne is published in Dental Economics (March 2026) with "Beyond the Numbers: What Buyers Overlook in Dental Practice Acquisitions," establishing her as a recognized authority in the field. Her consulting is grounded in decades of real-world experience working with practices of all sizes and configurations.

Cecie Mendoza

Practice Coach and Office Systems Specialist. Cecie brings specialized expertise in operational systems, team development, and practice management. She supports clients through implementation of consulting recommendations and provides ongoing coaching on team development and operational improvements.

Why Dentists Choose Tanner Management

Real Experience, Not Theory

Our recommendations come from 30+ years of working with actual practices, not from academic theory or textbooks. We've seen what works, what fails, and everything in between. We share that experience with you.

Operational Focus

We evaluate the clinical and operational realities of practices, not just financial numbers. This gives you a complete picture of what you're buying or building.

Independent Guidance

We're not affiliated with sellers, brokers, lenders, or financing companies. We work for you alone. You get honest analysis independent of transaction incentives.

Long-Term Success Focus

We're invested in your long-term success, not just in closing a deal. Many clients continue working with us through integration and beyond because we're genuinely interested in their success as practice owners.

Accessible and Responsive

As a small firm, we're accessible. You work directly with experienced consultants, not with junior staff. We respond promptly and communicate clearly. You're not a ticket number in a large system.

National Reach

We work with dentists nationwide. While we're based in Sacramento, California, we serve practices across the country. Our national perspective helps you understand your market and opportunities in broader context.

Our Approach

We Listen First

We start by understanding your situation, goals, and constraints. We don't impose a one-size-fits-all approach. We tailor our consulting to your specific circumstances.

We Provide Honest Assessment

You'll hear straight talk from us. If we think an acquisition is a mistake, we'll tell you. If we think an opportunity is better than you realize, we'll tell you that too. Honest assessment is more valuable than telling you what you want to hear.

We Focus on What Matters

We help you distinguish between critical decisions and minor details. We help you focus your energy and decision-making on the factors that will actually determine your success.

We Support Implementation

Strategy on paper means nothing without execution. We provide ongoing support through implementation to help you actually achieve the improvements we identify.

We Measure Results

We establish clear metrics at the beginning of engagements. We track progress, adjust strategy if necessary, and help you achieve measurable results.

Practice Consulting Philosophy

Acquisitions Should Make Financial Sense AND Operational Sense

A practice can have great numbers and still be operationally broken in ways that prevent you from succeeding as owner. We evaluate both dimensions.

Team Quality Determines Long-Term Success More Than Anything Else

You can fix almost any operational issue except a fundamentally broken team culture. We assess team quality carefully because it's such a critical factor.

Systems and Documentation Enable Scaling

Practices run on systems and processes, whether documented or not. Better systems enable scaling and reduce owner dependence. We help you build systems that work.

Insurance Participation Strategy Determines Profitability Ceiling

Your insurance participation decisions constrain or enable your profitability. Strategic insurance decisions are among the most important choices you'll make as owner.

Growth Should Be Intentional, Not Accidental

Practices grow or decline based on the systems and strategies you build. Accidental growth is unstable. Intentional growth based on clear strategy is sustainable.

Let's Connect

Whether you're considering a practice acquisition, looking to optimize an existing practice, or navigating a major transition, let's talk about your situation. We offer free initial consultations to discuss your goals and explore how we might help.