Closing out acquisitions, setting up for 2026 success and improving onboarding processes are three things that dentists and dental executives are still looking to complete by the end of 2025.
These six dental leaders recently connected with Becker’s to share their goals for the rest of the year.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What is your top priority or goal that you are hoping to check off your list by the end of the year?
Uppasna Chand, DDS. Owner and dentist of McLean (Va.) Family Dentistry: Stay busy during a government shutdown in the Washington, D.C., area.
Bradley Dykstra, DDS. Founder, CEO and Clinical Director of MI Smiles Dental Group (Hudsonville, Mich.): We are going to create a clear and prioritized list of technologies to incorporate in 2026.
Sherry Hassler. COO and EOS Integrator of Today’s Dental Nebraska (Omaha): We’re working on budgeting for 2026 as well as wrapping up the 90-day rocks and annual goals for 2025.
Geith Kallas, DDS. Dentist and CEO of Smile Makers Dental Center (Tyson’s Corner, Va.): As we move into the last few months of 2025, my top priority is to continue expanding access to care while enhancing patient engagement and clinical outcomes. We’re focusing on leveraging AI-powered analytics and automation to streamline workflows, improve patient journey tracking and enhance back-office operations.
Specifically, we’re aiming to complete the acquisition of two general practices to increase our market share in northern Virginia and finalize our acquisition model for 2026. We’re also prioritizing doctor leadership development and team retention to ensure we’re building a sustainable and resilient foundation for long-term growth. By investing in our providers, anchoring teams with strong local leadership and enhancing same-day care protocols, we’re positioning ourselves to grow smart and sustainably through the back half of the year.
Francesca Pregano. COO of Smile Makers Dental Center (Tyson’s Corner, Va.): As we enter the final stretch of 2025, my focus is on laying the groundwork for a powerful start to 2026. This quarter, I’m thrilled to launch our Emerging Leaders Workshop: Pathway to Office Management, a development program designed for both administrative and clinical team members who aspire to grow into leadership roles. The workshop will focus on the business of dentistry, essential soft-skill development and effective coaching and team management through leadership excellence.
Together with our CEO, I’ll continue driving Smile Makers’ strategic growth through the acquisition of new locations, keeping us aligned with our mission to deliver clinical excellence, operational efficiency and an outstanding patient experience.
Bonnie Thompson. COO of Forest Family Dentistry (Austin, Texas): We are improving our onboarding and training process and materials. Thankfully, we’ve been using AI tools to take our company specific materials and turn them into great content. We have some expansion plans and want to be sure we can scale both the company culture as well as our systems smoothly.
