Spotlight: Gentle Dental Plans to Merge With Florida Firm

Gentle Dental Services Corp. of El Segundo said that it plans to merge with Sarasota, Fla.-based Dental Care Alliance Inc. in an $80-million stock deal that would create one of the largest publicly traded firms in the fast-growing dental practice management industry. The combination would create a company with annual revenue of about $175 million and 137 offices in Florida, California and several other Western states. The deal requires both shareholder and regulatory approvals.