Exhibit 10.17

                                AMENDMENT TO THE
                            PATTERSON DENTAL COMPANY
                      RESTATED EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

Pursuant to the authority to amend the Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan of
Patterson Dental Company (the "Plan") retained by the Board of Directors of
Patterson Dental Company (the "Company") as set forth in paragraph 20 of the
Plan, the Plan is hereby amended in the following respect:

         Paragraph 3(a) of the Plan is amended by amending and restating the
         first sentence to read as follows:

         "Any person who is an Employee as of the Offering Date of a given
         offering period and who had Continuous Status as an Employee of six
         consecutive months shall be eligible to participate in such offering
         period under the Plan, subject to the requirements of paragraph 5(a)
         and the limitations imposed by Section 423(b) of the Code."



                                 AMENDMENT NO. 2
                                       TO
                      RESTATED EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                                       OF
                            PATTERSON DENTAL COMPANY

Pursuant to the authority to amend the Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan of
Patterson Dental Company (the "Plan") retained by the Board of Directors of
Patterson Dental Company (the "Company") as set forth in paragraph 20 of the
Plan, the Plan is hereby amended in the following respect:'

Paragraph 24, Term of Plan shall be amended by deleting the current paragraph
and replacing it with the following:

         Term of Plan. The Plan shall become effective upon the earlier to occur
         of its adoption by the Board of Directors or its approval by the
         Shareholders of the Company as described in paragraph 21. It shall
         continue in effect for an indefinite duration unless sooner terminated
         under paragraph 20. Except as amended herein, the Plan shall remain in
         full force and effect in its current form.