The pandemic has brought about several changes to the dental industry, including changing how DSOs are viewed.
Alexandra Laurain, CEO of Viridian Dental Partners, spoke with "Becker's Dental + DSO Review Podcast" to discuss why she is excited about the future of dentistry and the industry's shifting perspective on DSOs.
Note: This is an edited excerpt. Listen to the full podcast episode here.
Question: What are you most excited about for the future of dentistry?
Alexandra Laurain: I know COVID has brought a lot of negatives, but I think it has brought a lot of positives. That being said, I am excited for the future of dentistry. I think we've adapted to [COVID-19] and that we've navigated it as a whole fairly well. We're finding new solutions to the challenges we face every day. I always like to see when we're thinking ahead and thinking about how we're gonna get through something. I'm very excited about what I'm seeing as a shift in mindset, especially about the DSO space with dentists. I think you used to have this mentality that it was corporate dentistry and they're terrible and they're just gonna drain the life out of your practice.
I think that this whole situation with COVID has brought a shift in perspective for many doctors, which I think doesn't just benefit the DSOs and the people who essentially own them. It's also going to benefit the doctors because I think that the more open they are, the more they will see that if you can look to a DSO like Viridian or some similar DSOs within this space, they will see that they do provide assistance and support so that the doctor continues to focus on dentistry, which now has the added stress of having to deal with COVID and navigate it and that we really can be partners. That shift in the tone in the phone calls and with the people I'm talking to has been really encouraging to me and exciting because I'm excited about what Viridian does. I'm excited about offering this opportunity to doctors and that they would honor us with their partnership. I think that's what excites me, just kind of hearing the difference in the tone and being more understanding and willing to listen to the story and the options that are out there for them in the DSO space.