Below are some of the biggest updates from dental support organizations Becker's Dental + DSO Review reported on in 2021.
This list is not exhaustive.
1. Effingham, Ill.-based DSO Heartland Dental released its 2021 growth plans.
2. In January, Waltham, Mass.-based 42 North Dental made its sixth affiliation.
3. Houston-based Endo1 Partners closed its most successful fiscal year, adding 31 practices in 2020.
4. Morrisville, N.C.-based Affordable Care added Austin (Texas) Dental Implant Center to its supported practice network.
5. In January, Chicago-based Aspen Dental opened new practices in New Jersey and North Carolina.
6. Jonesboro, Ark.-based GPS Dental received an investment from tailored debt and equity capital company The Firmament Group.
7. Absolute Dental Group acquired Aces Braces and Dental, both based in Los Angeles.
8. Los Angeles-based Varsity Healthcare Partners invested in Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Peak Dental Services.
9. Nashville-based Specialty Dental Brands received a $107 million senior credit facility from Oxford Finance.
10. Biolase and Dental Care Alliance reached an agreement to expand laser technology and training programs across U.S. dental offices.
11. Madison Heights, Mich.-based SmilePartners-USA completed acquisitions in three large cities, bringing its total locations to 46.
12. 42 North Dental added Brookline, Mass.-based Center for Pediatric Dental Care and Orthodontics as an affiliate practice, the organization's first pediatric affiliation.
13. New York City-based Sentinel Capital Partners announced Feb. 1 the sale of Carrollton, Texas-based MB2 Dental, a dental partnership organization.
14. Effingham, Ill.-based Heartland Dental inked a four-year contract extension with Envista Holdings, a global supplier of dental products.
15. Boca Raton, Fla.-based Sage Dental acquired six new dental practices in Florida, expanding the total number of locations to over 65.
16. North American Dental Group expanded its presence in New York City with the addition of Smiles4Kids Manhattan Pediatric Dental Group.
17. Orange, Calif.-based Western Dental & Orthodontics selected Windsor, Conn.-based Voya Financial as the DSO's new recordkeeper and service provider for its 401(k) retirement savings plan.
18. Houston-based Endo1 Partners, an endodontic partnership organization, closed $115 million of debt facilities, with Waterbury, Conn.-based Webster Bank arranging the senior facility.
19. Aspen Dental opened its 101st Florida practice in Bonita Springs.
20. North American Dental Group released a March 18 statement urging for the end of racism, bigotry and hate directed at Asians and Asian Americans.
21. Austin, Texas-based Smile Center Dental joined Brident Dental & Orthodontics, an affiliate of Western Dental.
22. MB2 Dental ranked No. 114 out of 250 on Inc. 5000's fastest-growing Texas-based private companies.
23. New York City-based ICV Partners made a majority investment in Madison, Wis.-based Cherry Tree Dental.
24. Aspen Dental opened its first practice in the state of Colorado, along with others in Texas and Wisconsin.
25. The Smilist Management in Great Neck, N.Y., affiliated with Encore Dental, a DSO with five offices in New Jersey.
26. Dallas-based Deca Dental Group expanded into a third state through its acquisition of Reign Dental, a Seattle-based DSO.
27. Irving, Texas-based U.S. Oral Surgery Management established its first partnership in Mississippi.
28. Jonesboro, Ark.-based GPS Dental partnered with three dental practices across three states during the first quarter of 2021.
29. U.S. Oral Surgery Management partnered with Atlantic Oral Surgery and Implant Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
30. Chicago-based Aspen Dental opened its 25th Missouri practice.
31. Santa Ana (Calif.) Dental Group joined Irvine, Calif.-based Smile Brands.
32. MB2 Dental added its 300th affiliated practice and, separately, also entered Maryland, its 30th state.
33. Ovilla (Texas) Family Dentistry joined Smile Brands.
34. North American Dental Group partnered with Grandwood Park, Ill.-based Affiliated Dental Specialists, a pediatric dental group.
35. Oliver Dental Associates and Downtown Boston Dental affiliated with Beacon Dental Health, all located in Boston.
36. Heartland Dental announced a strategic transaction with Wakefield, Mass.-based American Dental Partners that will create a network of more than 2,300 dentists across 38 states.
37. Mentor, Ohio-based Empire Dental Arts acquired Palladino DDS & Associates, a 30-year-old practice in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
38. Dental365 partnered with Los Angeles-based Pearl, a dental AI and computer vision solutions company, for efficiency, accuracy, transparency and patient care.
39. Western Dental & Orthodontics partnered with dental implant maker Straumann Group, which will provide Western Dental's 333 offices with implants, abutments and crowns.
40. U.S. Oral Surgery Management partnered with WestShore OMS Specialists, an oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in southwest Florida, the special management services company's first partner in the state.
41. San Jose, Calif.-based Align Technology and DECA Dental Group extended their relationship with a new multiyear agreement for the Invisalign system through early 2025.
42. Chicago-based Great Lakes Dental Partners landed its first partnership in Indiana with the addition of Valparaiso Family Dentistry.
43. Heartland Dental introduced multiple diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to strengthen the work environment for its employees.
44. North American Dental Group will join its sister company, Colosseum Dental Group, in partnering with procurement company Jaggaer to facilitate its procurement process.
45. Sage Dental Management will partner with dental AI and computer vision solutions company Pearl to provide advanced care to its patients, making it one of the first organizations to integrate Pearl's technology companywide.
46. U.S. Oral Surgery Management entered a partnership with Southern Kentucky Oral Surgery Associates, its first partnered brand in Kentucky.
47. Aspen Dental officially opened its 900th U.S. office, a Mount Pocono, Pa.-based practice.
48. Heartland Dental closed its strategic transaction with American Dental Partners that allows American Dental Partners' practices to utilize Heartland Dental for marketing, office operations, information technology, human resources and payer relations.
49. Aspen Dental Management launched Motto, a clear aligner experience exclusively available at the DSO's locations.
50. Little Rock, Ark.-based Rock Dental Brands' COO, Kristi Crum, began her new position as the company's CEO July 1.
51. Mortenson Dental Partners raised a $12 million equity offering from the sale of its common stock.
52. Smile Brands partnered with Okemos, Mich.-based Eby Dental Care.
53. Lake Success, N.Y.-based ProHealth Dental opened its first CareMount Dental office through a clinical affiliation with Mount Kisco, N.Y.-based CareMount Medical, a multispecialty medical group.
54. U.S. Oral Surgery Management expanded into its 14th state. The Guyette Facial & Oral Surgery Center joined the specialty management service company's network with two practices in Scottsdale and Avondale, Ariz.
55. Smile Doctors launched a new treatment solution featuring the Invisalign clear aligners.
56. HealthEdge Investment Partners and Synergistic Capital Partners completed their investment in Today's Dental Network, a dental practice network and support organization.
57. Beacon Dental Health has doubled in size for the third consecutive year, completing five affiliations in the last 12 months.
58. Trevose, Pa.-based Simply Beautiful Smiles recently acquired Rahway, N.J.-based Olin Dental Group.
59. Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Onsite Dental recently acquired mobile dental firm Henry the Dentist.
60. Nashville, Tenn.-based Specialty Dental Brands is partnering with dental software company Tab32 to upgrade its operations and advance patient communication and revenue growth. Sacramento, Calif.-based Tab32's cloud-based platform organizes practice information and patient data.
61. Rock Dental Brands acquired nine dental practices across Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri, expanding the DSO's network to 84 practices.
62. Endo1 Partners inked affiliations with 34 new practices and added 42 new specialists across seven states from January to July.
63. Dental365 was acquired by private equity firm the Jordan Company through its Resolute Fund. The firm is acquiring the DSO from its founding shareholders, Scott Asnis, DDS, and David Kim, MD. The transaction is expected to be completed in August.
64. Select Dental Management recently expanded into Massachusetts. The partnership is the DSO's 20th affiliation in the last 12 months.
65. Chicago-based Thurston Group, a private equity firm, formed a new dental service organization called Gen4 Dental Partners. The initial Gen4 platform consists of five group practices at 15 locations across Arizona and Utah.
66. U.S. Oral Surgery Management entered the California market.
67. Woodbridge, Va.-based Light Wave Dental Management rebranded itself under a new name and business structure. Now known as Lightwave, the organization is shifting its operating model as a dental support organization to a dental leadership organization.
68. Irvine, Calif.-based Pacific Dental Services launched an integrated dental-medical practice to support patients' overall health needs. Services offered at the practices include primary medical care, oral healthcare, preventive medicine, chronic disease management, sleep studies, and medical and surgery clearance.
69. Heartland Dental began using Dentira to aid its practices in dental clinical supply procurement.
70. Tampa, Fla.-based Today's Dental Network partnered with Si McAninch, DDS, the organization's first practice expansion since it formed in July.
71. Sage Dental partnered with Straumann Group to offer its patients new digital intraoral scanners and AI-powered monitoring for orthodontics treatments.
72. Affordable Care added seven practices to its network, including its first in North Dakota.
73. Orthodontic support network Smile Doctors affiliated with nine practices during the second quarter of 2021, including its first in Maryland. Smile Doctors' addition of Maryland expands its network to 23 states and 258 locations.
74. Aspen Dental partnered with medical technology company Forward Science to provide a line of oral rinses at its dental practices nationwide.
75. Dallas-based DSO Eagle Dental Management launched a new initiative to partner with specialty dental practices in the Southwest region. The DSO said Aug. 23 it secured additional funding from a private investment firm to begin investing in specialty dental practices.
76. Deca Dental Group obtained a strategic investment from Blackstone Tactical Opportunities to fuel the organization's continued growth.
77. Atlanta-based Children & Teen Dental Group changed its name to Oak Dental Partners. Founded in 2015, the DSO has 25 affiliated pediatric dental and orthodontic offices across Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Pennsylvania. The new name reflects the organization's rapid growth trajectory and expansion into adult and family dentistry.
78. U.S. Oral Surgery Management entered the Oregon market with the addition of Columbia Oral Surgery and Implants to its network.
79. Guardian Dentistry Partners secured more than $100 million in debt financing from Chicago-based Twin Brook Capital Partners.
80. Cherry Tree Dental acquired an Illinois practice, its first affiliation outside of Wisconsin.
81. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Imagen Dental Partners expanded into California, its eighth state, with the addition of Scripps Rock Dental and Schaffer Dental Excellence.
82. Endo1 Partners secured an additional debt facility to expand its platform. The Sept. 27 transaction brings the organization's total amount of capital raised in the last 12 months to $250 million.
83. Straumann Group and Aspen Dental Management partnered to offer dental implants and prosthetic solutions to more than 1,000 U.S. locations. The partnership includes Aspen Dental, along with ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, both of which are under Aspen Dental Management.
84. Newark, N.J.-based the ChildSmiles Group entered the Pennsylvania market with its acquisition of Smiles 4 Keeps.
85. Nashville, Tenn.-based Marquee Dental Partners formed a dental advisory board comprising 10 dental professionals to strengthen its clinical focus.
86. Illinois-based Smile Obsession acquired three-dentist practice Maplebrook Dental in Naperville.
87. Denton, Texas-based Community Dental Partners partnered with Houston-based 3C Dental Group. The companies said the partnership will allow both groups to expand their mission of reaching underserved populations.
88. Pacific Dental Services opened Cincinnati-based Dentists of Eastgate, its 850th supported dental practice.
89. Aspen Dental Management will begin to use Los Angeles-based SprintRay's 3D printing technology at its more than 900 locations nationwide.
90. Spark Orthodontics acquired Cumberland Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics of Tennessee. The acquisition makes Spark Orthodontics a multispecialty practice covering dental and orthodontic services for patients as young as 18 months of age.
91. Imagen Dental Partners expanded into Georgia with the addition of Smile Moore Dentistry to its network.
92. U.S. Oral Surgery Management added Newport News, Va.-based Oyster Point Oral & Facial Surgery to its network, its first Virginia practice.
93. Pacific Dental Services is launching a college advancement program, making it the first DSO to offer eligible employees 100 percent tuition coverage for an undergraduate degree of choice.
94. In recognition of American Diabetes Month in November, 42 North Dental partnered with the American Diabetes Association.
95. Thirty-nine dentists with 42 North Dental won local "Top Dentist" awards in 2021.
96. MB2 Dental was named a best-led company by Inc.
97. Dentist Entrepreneur Organization acquired both Traction for Dental and JoyFull People. Traction for Dental is a certified EOS implementation business focused solely on multi-location dental companies, while JoyFull People offers an online curriculum for finding, managing and growing dental teams.
98. Canada-based United Dental raised $5 million in series B funding to support acquisitions and growth in the U.S.
99. Fairfax (Va.) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery partnered with Dallas-based Beacon Oral Specialists, a management services organization serving the oral surgery sector.
100. Oak Hill Capital entered into a definitive agreement to invest and partner with U.S. Oral Surgery Management.
101. 42 North Dental added Lansing, Mich.-based Great Lakes Family Dental Group, which has practices across Michigan and Indiana, launching the DSO past 100 supported practices.
102. MB2 Dental entered its 33rd state with its first Idaho partnerships.
103. Smile Doctors affiliated with 14 practices during its third quarter, including its first in North Carolina.
104. Dental Care Alliance added Fond du Lac, Wis.-based Modern Dental Care to its growing organization of allied practices. The partnership marks DCA's entry into Wisconsin.
105. Pacific Dental Services and the American Diabetes Association partnered to boost awareness around the link between periodontal disease and diabetes.
106. North American Dental Group recently launched an internal "Faces of NADG" campaign to share the diverse stories of its team members.
107. RiverGlade Capital sold its controlling stake in U.S. Oral Surgery Management.
108. Marquee Dental Partners partnered with seven Florida dental practices for a current total of 14 offices across nine brands in Florida.
109. Foundation Dental Partners gained two partnerships in Tennessee, placing the Alpharetta, Ga.-based DSO in the state's market and increasing its network to 14 practices.
110. Dallas-based Surge Private Equity added two dental practices with locations in Illinois and Indiana to its Texas-based DSO network.
111. Aspen Dental Management rebranded as the Aspen Group to reflect its expansion in the healthcare industry.
112. Dallas-based Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics opened two practices in Oklahoma, the organization's first expansion outside of Texas.
113. Aspen Dental partnered with dental software provider MyLabConnect to help offices collaborate with dental labs in real time.
114. Houston-based Crown Dental joined Brident Dental & Orthodontics, an affiliate of Orange, Calif.-based Western Dental.
115. Guardian Dentistry Partners expanded into New York, marking the organization's entry into its eighth state
116. Guided Practice Solutions gained a strategic growth investment from private equity firm Main Post Partners, the Jonesboro, Ark.-based dental service organization said Dec. 9.
117. Dental365 acquired Beacon Dental Health.