Amid the uncertainty 2020 has brought, dental service organizations continue to have a strong hold on the industry. Below is a list of 30 DSOs that should be on your radar this year.
Editor's note: This list is not exhaustive and is arranged in alphabetical order. Each organization included has 10 or more affiliated practices. Dental service organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Please contact Gabrielle Masson at gmasson@beckershealthcare.com with any questions.
42 North Dental (Waltham, Mass.). Formerly known as Gentle Dental Partners, 42 North Dental provides business and administrative support to 77 practices across several New England states. The organization was created by Ronald Weissman, DDS, and Samuel Shames, DDS, in 1980, when the two dentists began an advertising cooperative with other area dentists. In 2007, the official DSO was formed, and by 2012, it began moving across state lines.
Affinity Dental Management (Holyoke, Mass.) A regional organization based in New England, Affinity Dental Management provides comprehensive practice management and administrative support service to general dentists, cosmetic dentists, orthodontists, periodontists, endodontists, oral surgeons and specialty dentists. In 2017, the DSO was acquired by private equity firm MidOcean Partners.
Affordable Care (Morrisville, N.C.). Affordable Care, which has more than 340 practices across 40 states, brands itself as Affordable Dentures & Implants as well as DDS Dentures + Implant Solutions. All practices feature on-site dental laboratories for same-day services. The organization is led by CEO Gene Kirtser, who joined Affordable Care in 2017 after spending 10 years as the CEO and president of healthcare supply chain company ROi.
Allied Dental (Toms River, N.J.). With more than 30 locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, Allied Dental doesn't limit itself to general practitioners; specialty dentists can also become affiliated with the DSO. The organization also offers dentists the chance to attend Allied University, quarterly continuing education courses that are designed to update providers on tools, treatments, scientific research and business practices.
Aspen Dental Management (East Syracuse, N.Y.). With more than 830 locations across 42 states, this DSO is one of the largest dental service organizations in the country. In 2019, the DSO partnered with Walgreens to offer in-store dental services to Walgreens customers. During the same year, Aspen Dental also opened a Midwest headquarters in Chicago, which includes virtual training studios. In June, the DSO deployed its digital check-in system in all of its offices to reduce its environmental impact and save time for dental staff and patients.
Benevis (Marietta, Ga.). Formally known as NCDR, Benevis was founded in 2002 to provide non-clinical support services to dentist offices in Georgia. Since then, Benevis has made various strategic growth investments, including the 2010 acquisition of DPMS, another DSO. Benevis also developed Boomerang, its own practice management system, to support large dental groups. Today, Benevis supports more than 150 practices across 17 states.
ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers (Greenwood Village, Colo.). Founded in 2005, this DSO comprises 64 dental implant centers nationwide, with its network growing each year. The staff at ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers consists entirely of dental implant specialists, who can replace anything from a single tooth to full upper arches. They have treated more than 95,000 patients since the DSO's inception.
Cordental Group (Cincinnati). Cordental Group is among the dental service organizations that are backed by a private equity group. Today, the DSO supports more than 40 practices in the mid-Atlantic, midwestern and southeastern U.S. Dana Soper co-founded the DSO after selling a home infusion company in 2013 and currently serves as Cordental's CEO.
D4C Dental Brands (Atlanta, Georgia). Founded in 2010, D4C Dental Brands is the largest pediatric specialty-focused dental support organization in the country, supporting over 130 offices in 10 states. The specialty DSO’s cites its focus on supporting high-quality patient care and its commitment to raising the standard in children’s oral health as the reasons for its success. D4C Dental Brands exclusively supports pediatric dental and orthodontic practices.
DecisionOne Dental Partners (Schaumburg, Ill.). Founded in 2011 by brothers AJ Acierno, DDS, and Mike Acierno, DDS, DecisionOne Dental Partners has grown from two practices to 31. In 2019, the Illinois-based organization gained the attention of fellow DSO Smile Brands, which invested in the DSO's growth and future acquisitions.
Dental Associates (Milwaukee). Started by a single dentist, Thomas Manos, DDS, Dental Associates is currently Wisconsin's largest family-owned dental group practice, with 14 practices statewide. Dental Associates employs nearly 850 people, has 629 operatories and is a nationally accredited dental organization through the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
Dental Care Alliance (Sarasota, Fla.). Established in 1991 by Steven Matzkin, DDS, this DSO is one of the largest in the country. Dental Care Alliance is affiliated with more than 320 dental practices in 20 states, with more than 700 dentists in its network. Some of its affiliated brands are Baystate Dental, Dental One Associates and American Dental Center.
Dental365 (New Hyde Park, N.Y.). Among the DSOs expanding on the East Coast, Dental365 is affiliated with 48 practices throughout the New York City metropolitan area. In May 2019, Dental365 signed a financing deal with healthcare lending company White Oak Healthcare Finance, marking plans to expand more rapidly. The DSO was named the official dental partner of the New York Yankees in April 2019, which includes providing preventive care, cosmetic dentistry and oral surgical procedures to team members.
Elite Dental Partners (Chicago). The DSO provides administrative services and support for more than 100 dental practices nationwide. In October 2019, the organization named Gaurav Bhattacharyya CEO, replacing Scott Kalniz, DDS, who has remained as a strategic adviser and board member for the dental service organization.
Great Expressions Dental Centers (Southfield, Mich.). This DSO was acquired by Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark in September 2016. It now comprises more than 300 affiliated practices, 500 dentists and 450 hygienists. Great Expressions was the first recipient of the Summit Compliance Award from Mesa Labs for its commitment to infection control.
Heartland Dental (Effingham, Ill.). Founded in 1997 by Rick Workman, DMD, this DSO is among the largest dental service organizations in the country with more than 1,050 affiliated practices. It is affiliated with 1,700 dentists across 38 states. In 2020, Heartland Dental expanded its reach into the state of Idaho and has also recently opened support hubs in Indianapolis and St. Louis to enhance its non-clinical administrative services.
Hero Practice Services (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Hero Practice Services was founded in 2006 to support dental, orthodontic and vision providers for children ages 6 months through 20 years. In 2008, the DSO expanded to include orthodontic services at various practices, and in 2015 it was acquired by private equity firm Silver Oak Services Partners.
MB2 Dental (Carrollton, Texas). MB2 Dental is founded and led by CEO Chris Steven Villanueva, DMD. Since 2007, MB2 has partnered with hundreds of dentists across 17 states. In 2020 alone, the dental partnership organization has added 33 new practices.
Mid-Atlantic Dental Partners (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.). Founded in 2016, this DSO comprises more than 230 dental practices in 18 states. It acquired Denver-based Birner Dental Management Services for nearly $40 million in January 2019. Per the acquisition, Birner Dental was rebranded as Rocky Mountain Dental Services, and Mid-Atlantic Dental Partners also acquired Perfect Teeth, a group of dental offices branded under Birner.
Midwest Dental (Mondovi, Wis.). This DSO consists of more than 200 affiliated practices across 17 states. Led by CEO Steve Spellman and Chief Dental Officer Elizabeth Rydell, DDS, it is an active participant in Give Kids a Smile, a charity event sponsored by the American Dental Association Foundation that provides patients free care.
Mortenson Dental Partners (Louisville, Ky.). Beginning as a single practice in 1979, Mortenson Dental Partners has grown to be one of the largest groups of employee-owned dental practices in the U.S. With over 140 offices across nine states, the DSO employs nearly 1,800 team members and offers services ranging from general and pediatric dentistry to orthodontics and oral surgery.
North American Dental Group (Pittsburgh).This DSO was founded in 2008 by CEO Ken Cooper and CMO Andrew Matta, DMD. North American Dental Group comprises more than 230 dental offices in 15 states. When its affiliated offices had to shut their doors during the pandemic's early months, the DSO converted the sites into COVID-19 testing centers.
Onsite Dental (Aliso Viejo, Calif.). Onsite Dental operates with three different delivery models and more than 230,000 staff members. Its fixed practices follow a traditional dental office model, while its pop-up model brings dental care to existing medical clinics. The organization also has a mobile dental practice that travels to various locations nationwide.
OrthoDent (Bee Cave, Texas). In 2012, two dentists founded OrthoDent to bring dental care access to underserved communities. Today, while supporting practices across Texas, the organization offers affiliated practices billing, information technology, human resources and financial services. Additionally, OrthoDent has a detailed acquisition and transition process for dentists and orthodontists looking to become affiliated with the DSO.
Pacific Dental Services (Irvine, Calif.). This DSO was founded in 1994 with its first supported dental practice in Costa Mesa, Calif. By 1997, Pacific Dental Services had a network of nearly 20 supported practices. Today, Pacific Dental Services currently provides business support services to over 800 dental practices throughout 22 states. PDS has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. 14 times.
Rock Dental Brands (Little Rock, Ark.). Rock Dental Brands was founded in 2016 and currently provides practice management services to four affiliated dental groups. Rock Dental Brands manages nearly 600 employees at more than 75 practices throughout Arkansas and Missouri.
Signature Dental Partners (Phoenix). This DSO was established in 2017 by Chet Jenkins, DDS, who sought to increase business and purchasing power, reinvigorate dental staff and reduce overhead. Signature Dental Partners is affiliated with dental practices across Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. In addition to providing dentists with the necessary administrative tools to successfully run their practices, the DSO helps them recruit new employees. Its online careers portal allows dentists to post jobs that they need filled within their specific practice.
Smile Brands (Irvine, Calif.). This DSO, originally named Bright Now Dental, was founded in 1998 by a management team that included its current CEO Steve Bilt and CFO Brad Schmidt. It was renamed to Smile Brands in 2009 after the acquisitions of Monarch Dental Corp. and Castle Dental Centers. Smile Brands currently supports around 425 practices and about 5,000 team members. The DSO was honored as one of the 2019 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Glassdoor.
Southern Dental Alliance (Kennesaw, Ga.). Southern Dental Alliance supports more than 30 practices and operates under five brands: Carolina Dental Alliance, Children's Dental Center, South Carolina Orthodontics Group, Vital Smiles Georgia and Zoo Crew Pediatric Dentistry. The DSO provides information technology support, Spanish translation and facility support. In 2017, New York-based private equity investment firm Pouschine Cook Capital purchased the DSO.
United Dental Partners (Chicago). In 2014, pediatric dentist Scott Goldman, DDS, and orthodontist Louis Whitesman, DDS, merged their four combined practices to form WhiteGold Dental Partners. The DSO was later renamed United Dental Partners and has grown to more than 25 de novo and affiliated practices across Illinois and Indiana.
Western Dental (Orange, Calif.). With almost 320 locations, Western Dental is California's largest oral healthcare provider. The DSO operates in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Alabama and supports over 900 licensed dental providers. In January 2020, Western Dental released its own orthodontic aligner, ClearArc.