A Livingston, New Jersey dental practice that has treated patients since 1990 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing roughly $2.2 million in liabilities against just $357,227 in assets. The Miller Center for Esthetic Excellence, LLC submitted its Subchapter V petition on Thursday, and the filing does not spell out why the longtime practice ended up in court.
According to WhatNow, court records place the practice’s estimated assets in a range of $100,001 to $500,000 and its estimated liabilities between $1,000,001 and $10 million. The petition does not give a reason for the filing.
Who's Owed Money
WhatNow’s report on the filing identifies Align Technology, Inc., Celtic Bank, and Kuwata PanDent Laboratory among the unsecured creditors with the largest claims. The petition describes claims related to a loan agreement, trade debt, a revolving account, and other obligations. It identifies Robert Craig Miller as the company’s owner; Miller signed the petition.
The case records identify the company as a small business and name attorney David Stevens of Clear Path Law, LLC as its representative, WhatNow reports. Subchapter V is a Chapter 11 option for qualifying small-business debtors. The Miller Center’s filing does not, by itself, establish whether the practice will stay open.
Subchapter V and National Filing Data
According to U.S. Courts statistics, nationwide bankruptcy petitions totaled 557,376 in 2025, up 53,264 from 2024, while Chapter 11 filings fell 1% to 8,937. These figures do not isolate Subchapter V filings or show a trend specific to small businesses or dental practices.
A Subchapter V guide hosted by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri says the debtor remains in possession of assets and operates the business, with the same rights and duties as an ordinary Chapter 11 debtor in possession. That general description does not guarantee that the Miller Center will continue operating.
A Practice Built Over Three Decades
The Miller Center says it has served the metropolitan area since 1990, according to a practice description published by Wainscot Magazines / Health & Life. The profile describes founder Dr. R. Craig Miller as a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine. It characterizes the practice as offering general, preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry.
The profile also lists services including Invisalign, veneers, TMJ therapy, and dental sleep treatments, along with technologies such as CBCT imaging, digital impressions, and an in-house dental laboratory. The bankruptcy filing details the practice’s financial obligations, not its clinical services.
Part of a Broader Pattern Among Dental Practices
Other dental practices have also filed for Chapter 11. WhatNow has reported that Glenview, Illinois-based Dentistar P.C. filed under Subchapter V on May 6, Navajo Smiles LLC did so on March 6, and Bella Family Dental, Inc., based in Doral, Florida, also sought Chapter 11 protection.
Those cases offer context but do not establish a national trend specific to dental practices. Whether the Miller Center will reorganize successfully, and what the case will mean for patients who have relied on the Livingston office, remains to be seen as the bankruptcy proceedings continue.
