One dentist has more questions than answers about what the future will look like in the dental industry. But rather than causing him stress, the unknowns fuel his excitement for change.
The leader featured in this article is speaking at Becker's 2024 dental conferences. This includes our Spring Future of Dentistry Roundtable, which is set for June 19-21 at the Swissotel in Chicago, and our Fall Future of Dentistry Roundtable, which is set for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.
If you work at a DSO or dental practice and would like to be considered as a speaker, contact Randi Haseman at rhaseman@beckershealthcare.com.
As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who will speak at our roundtables. The following are answers from our speakers at the events.
Note: This response was lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What are you most excited and/or optimistic about in the dental industry?
Mark Doherty, DMD. CEO and Owner of D4 Practice Solutions and Partner of Southcoast Endodontics (New Bedford, Mass.): Interestingly enough, what excites me most about dentistry is not knowing what its future will be; let me explain. Historically, dentistry has been fairly one-dimensional, siloed and has stayed on a course of comfort. More recently, we have seen disruptors, pioneers, funders, politicians and influencers create a "soft" voice on what the future of dentistry could and should look like. Undoubtedly, advances in AI, equipment and materials are quite alluring, and the possibility of shifting to a more value-based care model certainly turns heads and raises eyebrows. The biggest question for me is, who is going to be the predominant provider group and payer? Will DSOs be the provider of the future? Will the solo private practitioner rebound? What about the public health dentist, as many have an opportunity to integrate with their medical counterparts? As we see more Medicaid reimbursement on a national level and for adults, how will that affect the future of dentistry? As more solo practitioners part ways with private payers, but patients are still willing to pay out-of-pocket, will that lead to better profit margins for the solo dentist? Conversely, with DSOs becoming less inclined to separate from private payers and with service reimbursement remaining unchanged, will this negatively affect their bottom line? I do feel the data/literature vacillates on a fairly regular basis, but that only validates how unsettled the dental industry is.