About JoAnne Tanner
Helping Dentists Make Smarter Practice Decisions for More Than 40 Years
Principal Consultant at Tanner Management. Based in Sacramento, California. Guiding dental practice acquisitions, growth strategy, and Delta Dental transitions nationwide.
Four Decades Inside the Dental Industry
JoAnne Tanner, MBA, has spent more than four decades inside the dental industry helping dentists evaluate practices, improve systems, identify hidden operational risks, and build stronger, more profitable businesses.
Her career in dentistry began in 1976 when she served as a Dental Technician in the United States Navy, stationed in California and Naples, Italy. That early hands-on clinical experience created the foundation for a career built on operational insight, clinical understanding, and real-world business strategy.
Today, JoAnne leads Tanner Management, a dental practice consulting firm specializing in practice acquisitions, operational due diligence, growth consulting, and insurance strategy. She works alongside Cecie Mendoza, Tanner Management's Practice Management Consultant.
What Makes JoAnne Different
Unlike many consultants who focus primarily on financial statements, JoAnne's work centers on what is actually happening inside the practice. She evaluates the systems, clinical patterns, patient flow, treatment planning habits, hygiene department performance, insurance participation, team accountability, and operational structure that ultimately determine whether a practice succeeds or struggles after a transition.
That distinction has helped dentists across the country make better acquisition decisions, uncover hidden risks, and create stronger long-term outcomes. She does not simply review numbers — she evaluates how the practice actually functions.
- Evaluating practices before purchase through comprehensive due diligence
- Identifying hidden red flags that financial reports alone cannot reveal
- Improving treatment acceptance rates and hygiene department performance
- Navigating associate-to-owner transitions
- Planning Delta Dental transitions that protect revenue
- Building system-driven practices with clear KPI tracking
Read real case studies and client testimonials to see these results in practice.
Buyer Due Diligence and Transition Analysis
Whether a dentist is pursuing a dental practice acquisition in California or evaluating opportunities in another state, JoAnne's evaluations uncover operational concerns and growth opportunities that traditional appraisals, brokers, and lenders overlook.
Patient & Production Analysis
Active patient health, production by procedure code, hygiene department performance, and unscheduled treatment opportunities. These metrics reveal whether production is sustainable or owner-dependent.
Due diligence services →Insurance & Financial Risk
Insurance dependency risk, accounts receivable trends, Delta Dental transition impact, and revenue sustainability under new ownership. We quantify what each insurance contract actually costs your practice.
Insurance strategy services →Team & Operations
Team structure and accountability, clinical diagnosis and treatment planning patterns, staff retention risk, and practice growth potential. A strong team is the foundation of every successful transition.
Team development resources →For a complete overview of what to evaluate before buying, see our 50+ point buyer's checklist and due diligence guide.
Industry Publications
JoAnne has contributed educational content to Dental Economics, the dental industry's leading professional publication. Her work focuses on helping dentists understand the operational realities behind practice performance and value.
Expert Witness Experience
JoAnne has served as an expert witness in dental transition and practice-related legal matters, providing professional analysis and operational insight in cases involving practice sales, valuation disputes, and transition conflicts.
Her combination of clinical knowledge, operational expertise, and financial analysis background makes her uniquely qualified to evaluate the merits of practice-related disputes.
Full-Spectrum Consulting for Dental Practice Owners
Dental Practice Acquisitions
Buyer due diligence, practice transition consulting, and acquisition strategy for dentists buying a dental practice in California and nationwide. From target identification through closing and integration.
Acquisition consulting →Practice Growth & Systems
Dental systems development, treatment acceptance improvement, and practice profitability optimization. Building operational infrastructure that scales without constant owner oversight.
Growth consulting →Insurance & Delta PPO Strategy
Delta Dental PPO transition strategy, fee schedule analysis, and insurance participation decisions that protect profitability without sacrificing patient volume.
Insurance strategy →Team & Leadership Development
Hygiene department performance, team accountability systems, leadership development, and practice culture transformation. Building teams that execute consistently.
Management consulting →Valuation & Deal Structure
Independent practice valuation analysis, deal structure review, negotiation support, and risk assessment. Ensuring you pay the right price for what you are actually getting.
Common valuation mistakes →Presentations and Webinars
JoAnne has presented educational programs to dental professionals, dental societies, and industry organizations on topics including practice due diligence, growth systems, treatment acceptance strategies, Delta PPO transition planning, hygiene department performance, and dental leadership.
Recent engagements include a due diligence webinar with Integrity Practice Sales, co-hosted with Trevor Kimball, covering what buyers should evaluate beyond the numbers when acquiring a dental practice.
For more educational content, visit our resources page or blog.
- What buyers should evaluate beyond the numbers
- Preparing a practice for sale
- Building sustainable production systems
- Treatment acceptance strategies
- Delta PPO transition planning
- Developing owner-leaders who build strong teams
Based in California. Serving Dentists Nationwide.
JoAnne is based in Sacramento, California, with deep expertise in the California dental market. She regularly works with dentists pursuing practice acquisitions in California and navigating Delta Dental transition strategies specific to this market. She also serves dentists nationwide, bringing the same hands-on operational perspective regardless of location.
Throughout her career, JoAnne has become known for her direct, practical approach. She believes dentists deserve honest guidance based on what is truly happening inside a practice, not just what appears on a spreadsheet. Her mission: help dentists avoid costly mistakes, make smarter business decisions, and build high-performing practices with confidence.
Ready to Talk?
Whether you are considering a practice acquisition, looking to optimize your existing practice, or navigating a Delta Dental transition, JoAnne offers free initial consultations to discuss your situation.
Schedule a Free Consultation Call (916) 591-2720