does anyone know where to purchase dental insurance if your employer does not provide it

If you are in the US good luck! Most dental insurance is expensive and not everything is covered, plus there is generally a max the company will pay each year. If you find a discount plan you are limited to going to the few dentists that are on it, and some procedures are not that discounted. If you find an HMO?DMO type plan it may be cheaper, and not have a max benefit per year, but most of the offices that take those plans are like clinics, and you don't always get the best care or see the same dentist each visit. Some dentists have there own in house type plans, and many will give patients without insurance a discount (though not much).
Your best bet is to get it through an employer, but in the US more and more employers are not offering benefits. Sad that what is supposed to be the best country in the world has such a mess of a healthcare system. Best of luck to you!

Yes i know a company called Medical Insurance Consultants (M-I-C).

They are one of the few remaining specialist healthcare insurance brokers that is not owned by an insurance company or conglomerate. As such they are able to move quickly to meet our clients' requirements, either by arranging Locum Insurance Cover for a practice within a few hours, or meeting a Practice Manager to conduct an annual insurance review.

Practice Expenses Insurance :: Dental Insurance :: Medical Insurance Consultants, Yeovil, UK