FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AMERICAN DENTAL PARTNERS ANNOUNCES THE ACCREDITATION OF ANOTHER AFFILIATE

Contacts:  (781) 224-0880, (781) 224-0880
Gregory A. Serrao, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Ronald M. Levenson, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS - January 5, 2000 - American Dental Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADPI) announced today that its affiliated dental group in Minnesota, Orthodontic Care Specialists, received accreditation status from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) on December 22, 1999. Orthodontic Care Specialists is the first and only orthodontic group and one of only 8 dental practices in the United States to receive this recognition. Orthodontic Care Specialists is the fourth American Dental Partners, Inc. affiliate accredited by AAAHC.

The AAAHC is a private, not for profit organization that is nationally recognized for conducting extensive evaluations of health care provider organizations to ensure the highest quality standards. "This year has been quite exciting for American Dental Partners and the accreditation of Orthodontic Care Specialists is a wonderful way to end the year. This recognition of clinical excellence is well deserved and is a validation of the outstanding, high quality orthodontic practice developed over the past 25 years under the leadership of Dr. Karl Biewald and the orthodontists of Orthodontic Care Specialists, including Drs. Cutcliffe, Dunn, Hipp and Montgomery. Since the completion of our affiliation with this group in October, 1997, the orthodontists and their team have expended tremendous effort to achieve accreditation and this honor is a just reward for their hard work and high quality of care. It's especially remarkable that Orthodontic Care Specialists is the first orthodontic practice in the United States to receive this accreditation," said Gregory A. Serrao, Chief Executive Officer.

Ever since the completion of ADP's first affiliation, Park Dental in 1996 (also accredited by AAAHC), the Company has encouraged its affiliates to pursue accreditation with the AAAHC because the Company believes that the accreditation process will help ADP's affiliated dental groups provide the highest levels of care to their patients. Dr. Jesley C. Ruff, Vice President and Chief Professional Officer of ADP, works with the Company's affiliates in the pursuit of accreditation. "We hope that by having our affiliated dental groups be part of a select group of dental practices in the U.S. that have achieved accreditation, American Dental Partners will be at the forefront of promoting clinical excellence in the dental profession," said Dr. Ruff. "While AAAHC accreditation is a rigorous and demanding process, we believe it will help our affiliated dental groups continue to recruit high quality professionals and enhance relationships with patients, payors and the entire dental community," added Mr. Serrao.

American Dental Partners, Inc. is one of the nation's leading dental practice management companies. As of December 31, 1999, the Company was affiliated with 18 dental group practices and operated 134 dental facilities with more than 1,150 operatories located in Alabama, Arizona, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Note: Some of the information in this press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "hope," "anticipate," "project," and similar expressions, among others, identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated or implied. Certain factors that might cause such a difference include, among others, the Company's risks associated with its acquisition and affiliation strategy, management of rapid growth, dependence upon affiliated dental groups, dependence upon service agreements, government regulation of the dental industry and year 2000 compliance issues. Additional risks, uncertainties and other factors are set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-56941).