Our story

The Comfort Dental Story

Founded by dentist Dr. Rick A. Kushner, Comfort Dental is the largest and most successful dental franchise in the world.

Helping us grow to 200+ locations across 10 states

A Prescription for Success

Comfort Dental’s success has been spurred forward in part by a smart, recession-proof business model, focused on affordable, quality care and convenient hours.

Offices are open evenings and Saturdays. Comfort Dental dentists work hard and believe in treating patients with kindness. Consistent, focused marketing generates attention and office visits, driven by a valuable and value-driven new patient offer: an exam and X-rays for only $19. (Full payment due at time of service.)

Dedicated Teams
Our caring and friendly team are dedicated to making quality dentistry affordable. They take time to listen and explain procedures and fees in advance, not after the fact.
Affordable Care
Fees at Comfort Dental are typically below average. We accept many insurance plans, and our Gold Plan options make the cost of high-quality care manageable and predictable.
State-of-the-Art Techniques
Comfort Dental offices use the latest techniques in cosmetic, orthodontic, periodontal, and preventive treatment, and follow strict infection control procedures.

Giving back

A Founder With a Vision

Affordable Care. Profitable practices. No compromise.

"Back in those days, I would attend a lecture and the dentist standing up at the front of the course would be telling me the type of patients I should be seeing, and the ones that I shouldn’t. I just kept thinking, ‘Why would I turn anyone away? I want to see every patient!’”

A first-generation college graduate from Colorado, Rick Kushner earned his degree in philosophy before completing dental school at Marquette University in 1977. Even then, he stood apart, driven by the deep belief that great dentistry should be accessible to everyone, not just the privileged few.

Nearly five decades later, that philosophy has grown into more than 180 Comfort Dental practices across the United States, with more than 500 doctors caring for millions of patients. In 2024 the median income for General Dentists in the Comfort Dental system reached $465,000; clear proof that their business model prioritizes affordability without sacrificing success.

Every great enterprise stands on a solid partnership, and for Comfort Dental, that is Rick and his wife, Cindy Kushner. Together, they’ve built a business that is changing the way dentistry works in America. Rick opened his first practice after returning to Colorado in the late 1970s. Ten years later, he was running three dental offices, with multiple partners, and facing a life-changing choice: keep on keepin’ on, or aim for something much, much bigger.

Dr. Rick A. Kushner

President, Founder, CEO & CFO of Comfort Dental
Follow Rick on Twitter

Lean, Mean, and Built to Last

Comfort Dental was built on a simple philosophy: lean and efficient practice management. By reducing unnecessary marketing, staffing, and overhead costs, dentists can focus on what matters most—excellent patient care, affordable treatment, and a convenient patient experience.

At the heart of this approach is the Comfort Dental Partnership Model, giving dentists a path to ownership without the massive capital requirements or decades-long wait traditionally associated with partnership. Bulk purchasing and shared marketing help keep costs down while bringing more patients through the door.

Power Couple

You can’t tell the story of Comfort Dental without Cindy Kushner. While Rick is the public face, Cindy is the force behind the culture and growth. Their personal and professional partnership explains the DNA of Comfort Dental.

Most couples would crack under the pressure, but Rick and Cindy thrive. They share values, but bring different strengths. He is the dentist-entrepreneur who understands the reality of the clinic; she is the operational strategist who makes sure their vision holds up. Together, they have created a culture that balances ambition and integrity.

Today Comfort Dental is thriving, which is a reflection of the values Rick and Cindy have held from day one.

With support from an experienced management team of former practicing dentists, Comfort Dental franchise owners gain greater financial independence and profitability while making affordable dental care accessible to more patients.

At Comfort Dental, dentists reap the rewards—not outside investors.

The Impact Beyond the Chair

In 2010, the Kushners established the Comfort Dental/Dr. Rick and Cindy Kushner Scholarship Fund at Marquette, which provides $50,000 annually to students in debt. Just two years later in 2012, Rick and Cindy also presented a $1M gift to Marquette University, which expanded the patient care practice at the dental school by an additional 24 stations.

Rick explained, “As a first-generation college student, I want aspiring dentists to have the same support and opportunities I’ve had. At the same time, I hope that I can encourage my fellow alums to contribute to the school’s expansion.”

While corporations are tightening their grip, mixed in with rising patient expectations, and the ever-evolving technology rocking the industry, Rick’s message cuts through with clarity: Stay grounded. Remember what is important. Do Bread and Butter Dentistry. Take care of people. Charge them fairly.

Comfort Dental welcomes dentists who share that philosophy; those who want autonomy with operational support, a work-life balance without sacrificing their income, and a staunch belief that dentistry should help their community.

The gift, in context

1977

Dr. Kushner graduates from Marquette University School of Dentistry - the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the school.

2009

Marquette honors Dr. Kushner with the Outstanding Dental Service Award for contributions to practice, education, and public service.

2012

A $1 million gift funds the Building for the Future campaign, creating a fifth clinic and 24 new patient stations.

The Marquette University School of Dentistry honored Dr. Rick A. Kushner with the Outstanding Dental Service Award in 2009. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to dentistry through practice, education, or public service.

In their own words

Why the name Comfort Dental?

Rick and Cindy Kushner on how the name came about, and the philosophy behind it.

“I was the first in my family to go to college,” he said. “As a first-generation college student, I want aspiring dentists to have the same support and opportunities I’ve had. At the same time, I hope that I can encourage my fellow alums to contribute to the school’s expansion.”

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Investing In The Future

In 2010, Dr. Kushner established the Comfort Dental/Dr. Rick and Cindy Kushner Scholarship Fund at the Marquette University School of Dentistry, Milwaukee, WI.

The fund provides $50,000 annually for a minimum of 10 years. Five scholarships are given away each year in increments of $10,000 to Marquette dental students. One scholarship goes to a first-year student, one to a second-year student, one to a third-year student, and two to fourth-year students.

We have over 200 offices operating throughout Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. And we continue to grow, with new Comfort Dental franchise partners expanding the Comfort Dental family each year.

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