This month, several dental industry leaders spoke with Becker's about how DSO consolidation will evolve, opportunities to advance oral healthcare under the next White House administration and how millennials and Gen Zers are changing dentistry.
Here are is what eight dental leaders told us in August:
What dental leaders want from the next White House administration
Phil Cassis. Co-Founder and CEO of Providence Dental Partners (Atlanta): I believe it will be important for the next administration to fund several important initiatives in advancing healthcare and wellness in our country. Specifically, we have a need for public health awareness campaigns that educate society on the oral systemic connection. Research has increasingly shown that the health of the mouth, teeth and gums is closely associated with the overall health of the body. Yet healthcare policies widely and continually focus on reactively treating diseases instead of proactively preventing them. If we are going to decrease co-morbidity rates, we have to expand medical/dental benefits that focus on optimal dental care and early detection.
Understanding the oral-systemic connection highlights the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene not only to protect the mouth, but safeguard overall health. Regular dental check-ups, proper brushing and flossing, and addressing oral health issues promptly can have far-reaching benefits beyond just a healthy smile. The oral systemic connection underscores the need for a more integrated approach to healthcare, where dental professionals and general healthcare professionals collaborate more closely to ensure comprehensive care for patients. The next administration can lead this initiative by funding public health awareness and education campaigns.
1 dental industry trend that needs to be reversed
Ash ElDifrawi. Chief Commercial and Brand Officer at The Aspen Group (Chicago): One thing I'm a little concerned about as a trend is, as things get a little competitive, there's a lot of misinformation out there, and I think there's a lot of confusion with consumers. For example, you see things out there like "teeth in a day," things like that, but then there are problems that flow from that. One of the things the industry has to be careful about and think through a bit is how to make sure there's transparency with consumers and there's access to good information because there are a lot of people out there just trying to win over consumers with claims and misinformation. It's a real concern and a trend we have to reverse.
How the DSO field has evolved and where it's headed next: Exec
Vincent Cardillo. Founder of Maeva Dental Advisors: I think it is going to be very interesting to see how [the consolidation] plays out. What happens to these smaller groups or mid-size groups that don't make it? I guess they sell the practices back, or they just shut some down. So we will be seeing that. Right now, everybody's everybody's hot on implant practices. They've gone through the whole cycle of all different types of practices, and it seems like the last one is implants, and now people are getting into sleep [practices]. So, I think it [will continue] to grow, and when it continues to grow, there are more opportunities.
'The best is yet to come': Dental365 celebrates 10-year milestone
Joshua Gish, DDS, president of Leading Edge Specialized Dentistry (New Hyde Park, N.Y.): It's fair to say that no matter what the technological advancements are in the next 10-20 years, healthcare will always be about patients, and that's never going to change. We're truly in the people business, and we hold that very dear to our heart. We're not only navigating our way through patient-focused dental care, but we're guiding the future. We're really stewards of our profession. We're committed to an excellent patient experience and outstanding clinical outcomes, and also to implementing these paradigm-changing technologies like saliva testing. We're pushing the field of dentistry. We've really created a company of like-minded dental professionals and provided them a pathway to professional success. Our practice model and our clinical philosophy is really what's going to propel Dental365 to shine through what we expect to be a great consolidation of dental providers in the near future. We've proven that we've been able to rehabilitate ailing dental platforms, and we create value by implementing our core values to our doctors and to our patients. The truth is, the best is yet to come. We have a lot ahead of us.
How millennials, Gen Zers are shaking up the DSO field
Gary Kadi. Founder of NextLevel Doctors Group (New York City): The old school way for most baby boomers and early millennials was, you live to work. Now, they're working to live. When you can speak to the work-to-live conversation, and you can show them that you can remove the downsides of dentistry, they can still own a portion of their practice so they feel like they're validated that way, and then we can show them how the percentage we pay for their dentistry at 30% allows them to make more than the profit they would earn if they own their entire business. So what you're offering this group is a lifestyle, and because they really care about their lifestyle, they don't care about things. They're not here acquiring things. They don't have the depression ancestry conversation of fear and scarcity. The next generations know who they are, and they don't want to work the same way boomers and early millennials have.
How a surgeon-focused mindset is fueling 1 DSO's growth
Jason Auerbach, DDS. Co-CEO of Max Surgical Specialty Management (Hackensack, N.J.): Not to speak disparagingly about any specific DSO, [but] a lot of DSOs have taken this concept of scale just for scale. At Max, we're very focused on building a cohesive network of practices, something we can be proud of, something where, irrespective of what's to come over the course of the next X number of years, we're building something that is going to grow, that is going to provide value to our surgeons and patients, and overall, build a very good company. That's really, to a great degree, why we brought Mark in. Jeff has been with us since before we had outside investments and has done an exceptional job of systemizing and taking a little bit of my craziness to the next level, and really organizing things. So having an amazing team of people who really believe in the vision and who can actually make those things come to fruition, that's what you need.
Dan Burke. Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer of PDS Health (Henderson, Nev.): We're very optimistic about dental care and have been for quite some time. Our company’s founder and CEO Steve Thorne has been referring to this current era as "the golden age of dentistry," and we've seen nothing to indicate that his magnanimous vision is not correct.
Our country is experiencing a rapidly growing elderly population with a deep desire to live longer and stronger. This massive group of Americans will invest in their healthcare. They will seek out data and insights to help them make better decisions. They will invest in predictive, preventive, and, ultimately, personalized care. They will be aware that saliva is "the new blood" and that there are important biomarkers in their saliva that can significantly influence the health of their mouth and body. This population megatrend is part of the reason why Steve refers to this as "the golden age of dentistry." This is a generational shift in population demographics, and it is good for dentists.
Has consolidation hit its peak? 4 dentists weigh in
Owen Waldman, DMD. Waldman Dental Group (Scottsdale, Ariz.): I see consolidation in the dental industry growing and continuing to make it more impersonal, more corporate with less individualized personal care and more treatment planning for the sake of the corporate dollar. There will be more of a revolving door of staff and dentists at these corporate offices, like always, because fewer and fewer dentists will be the majority owners and it's not "their business." Thankfully for the public, there still will be those of us who will continue to give that high quality, personalized care, where the staff and patients are treated like family. Since dentistry is personal, people will still spend that discretionary income at an office where they know the same doctor and staff will continue to be there for them for years and years and will have that trust factor that will not be the same in a corporate office.