Dental professionals spoke with Becker's this month about consolidation, inflation, medical-dental integration and more.
Here is what eight dental leaders told Becker's in April:
Dental insurance needs a revamp, per 5 leaders
Gabriela Hricko, DDS. Partner Orthodontist of Great Expressions Dental Centers (Southfield, Mich.): One thing in the dental industry that needs to be updated/improved is dental revenue cycle management. There have been great improvements, and there are many new software systems and technologies to help streamline the process. However, it can be better, and the dental insurance companies need to modernize and collaborate to make this happen. There are still insurance companies that require monthly manual paper claims to be mailed in for orthodontic reimbursement. We, as an industry, can do better, so let's make it happen!
Why 5 leaders want to see more collaboration in dentistry
Will Alexander. Senior Vice President, Enterprise Operations and Chief Information Officer of Benevis (Atlanta): As the technology and enterprise operations leader at Benevis, I believe an area for improvement in the dental industry is the integration of dental health records with broader healthcare systems. Currently, the separation between these records often leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for providing comprehensive care. By fostering better connectivity and data exchange between these systems, we can enhance patient outcomes and ensure that dental health is not isolated but integrated into the overall healthcare strategy. This approach will not only improve the speed and accuracy of patient care but also elevate the role of dental health within the wider healthcare ecosystem. Emphasizing this integration is vital for advancing healthcare delivery and better supporting patient wellness.
What highpointing taught 1 oral surgeon about patient care
Samuel Scroggins, DMD. Oral Surgeon at Southwest Virginia Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Roanoke, Va.): After we've done a hike, we try to look at it and analyze what we did that was good and what we probably need to do differently next time. [It's] the same thing with cases — looking at them and being like, this worked out, but what would have made things smoother? What would have made a slightly better outcome? Another thing is the idea of using all the resources you have. That's the idea with these hikes, whether you have a guide that leads you or making sure you have the right equipment and that you do the research you need to learn about the trail and what the weather is going to be like. I relate that to preparing for a case — doing research, reading articles, talking to people who maybe have done it before and then using other resources like product reps or implant guides to help make things smoother, especially if it's a procedure you haven't done a lot of.
Brady Frank, DDS. CEO of REV One Dental (Dallas): The big word is alignment. These doctors have chosen to be leaders and a lot of our acquisitions and growth will be related to recruiting new dentist partners in a DSO that is not backed by private equity but instead backed by our own fund, which is 100% funded by dentists, so the financing source is also a fund made up of dentist investors, which is probably the most unique part of the DSO. Most DSOs are private equity-backed or blue chip-backed. This is backed by a fund that is funded by actual clinical dentists.
Where dentists are seeing higher price tags
Raul Escalante, DDS (San Marcos, Calif.): I've been in practice for 34 years now and it seems only lately I've noticed price increases. I believe I've noticed it more because they appear in almost everything, and everyone has given me a "price increase notice." From dental materials I purchased to staff salary, this past year and currently I've had to spend more to cover my overhead. Given that, I would say the biggest price increase has come from our building's owner's association. Year after year, they increase the association dues by 5-10%, which I understand. However, this past February they hit us with a 37% increase. Everyone I know complained, but the association wouldn't budge. They changed management companies and this is how they greeted us.
More dentists moving away from 'lip service' support from DSOs: Exec
Mark Censoprano. Co-CEO of Max Surgical Specialty Management (Hackensack, N.J.): On the business side of things, I think you see a continued shift toward doctor-led organizations, if you look at recent successes out there. The former model maybe was more of an ownership model. The model you're seeing emerge and really be most successful is a partnership. There's another one, which is almost like a dramatic rebound toward expressed clinical autonomy and not just lip service. Some folks got a little tripped up over that in the past and that's a trend you're going to continue to see in the future because I think it just is best for everyone, leads to the best outcomes, leads to the best quality of experience for both the patients and the providers, and also for the organization as a whole.
Where dentistry needs more innovation
Barry Lyon, DDS. Chief Dental Officer for the Division of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at Dental Care Alliance (Sarasota, Fla.): Although it is in development, AI’s ability to reveal skeletal problems via a cephalometric analysis will be a boon to orthodontists. It will aid in diagnosis and the development of proper treatment sequences. Currently, 3D imaging has become the standard of care and a valuable tool for orthodontic diagnosis.
Imagine what the benefits of regenerative dentistry and the utilization of inflammatory markers and biomarkers would be to pediatric dentists. Preventive pediatric dental care would leap forward and would make the pedestrian application of topical fluoride and sealants appear primitive in comparison. Gene editing technologies will allow the modification of the genetic code that will reduce the susceptibility to caries.
Unimagined advances in dental technology, embraced by pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, will lead to revolutionary advances in pediatric healthcare.
2 leaders on how DSOs have fueled consolidation in dentistry
Richard Hall. President and CEO of U.S. Oral Surgery Management (Irving, Texas): DSOs have had a profound impact on the field of dentistry and will continue to do so. The driving forces behind the evolution of DSOs remain strong and are getting stronger. Relieving dentists and specialists of the business responsibilities of being an entrepreneurial doctor, need for efficiency and cost controls, quality care delivery and patient experience and rising student loan debt are all mounting. The private practice of dentistry is becoming more complex, and the consumer is becoming more informed, creating a more competitive market than ever before. DSOs will continue to consolidate the market, creating a new model for private practice. The historical private practice model is no longer attractive to many entering the profession. DSOs offer professional business services at scale that can help with staffing, procurement, revenue cycle management and payer issues, and even regulatory direction through professional associations, like the Association of Dental Support Organizations, working closely with other professional associations, like the American Dental Association, to protect and advance the profession.