Upgrading and integrating new technologies, expanding footprints and enhancing training programs are three items and initiatives that dentists and dental executives are planning to invest in once the calendar flips to 2026.
Making the proper investments is crucial for dental groups to stay ahead of the pack and continue to drive growth.
These six dental leaders recently connected with Becker’s to share what they are planning to invest in at their practices and organizations in 2026.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Kristi Casey. CEO of Rock Dental Brands (Little Rock, Ark.): In 2026, we plan to continue investing in our people, our technology and our patients’ experience. That includes strengthening leadership development, enhancing clinical training and adopting tools that help our teams work smarter and deliver the highest quality of care. We’re focused on supporting our doctors and practices with what they need to grow.
Russell Fitton, DDS. Dentist and Owner of Barrington (Ill.) Dental: We are planning on upgrading our scanning ability for IOS. We want to include Photogrammetry for All-on-X. We also most likely will be upgrading our CareStream 8100 3D since it is already nine years old.
Matthew Horn, DDS. Dentist and Owner of Matthew Horn DDS (Union, N.J.): I am planning to add a CBCT unit in the winter.
Geith Kallas, DDS. Dentist and CEO of Smile Makers Dental Center (Tyson’s Corner, Va.): We’re planning to invest in several key areas in 2026 to drive growth, improve patient care and enhance operational efficiency. We’ll be accelerating our investment in AI-powered analytics and automation to streamline workflows, improve patient journey tracking and enhance back-office operations. This will enable us to make data-driven decisions, reduce administrative burdens, and focus on delivering exceptional patient care. We’re investing in cutting-edge technologies like new cloud-based practice management systems, digital imaging and 3D printing to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
We’ll be prioritizing provider retention, talent development and leadership growth to ensure we have a skilled and motivated team to deliver exceptional care. We’re also expanding our specialty care services, including orthodontics, periodontics and oral surgery, to provide comprehensive care under one roof and enhance patient convenience. These investments will enable us to deliver exceptional patient care, drive growth and stay ahead of the competition in the evolving dental landscape.
Robert Rubino. CEO and Chairman of Qualitas Dental Partners (Sharon, Mass.): There are two important areas of investment in 2026 for Qualitas. First is expanding existing practice capacity. Investment is in physical space, number of operatories and additional talent. Demand for services is greater than our capacity right now, so we need to invest to serve more patients. We will also invest in training. We have a robust CE program currently, but we will be adding additional courses and seminars to further advance the careers of our current team members and meet the needs of many.
Robert Trager, DDS. Dentist at JFK Airport (New York City): I’m not investing in equipment, but I am investing in developing a program to determine the various categories of groups and what their EOBs and out-of-pocket expenses are. All these insurance companies have their little gimmicks to impede the dentists from providing quality treatment. Being in JFK and LaGuardia Airports, 90% of our patients have PPO dental plans and 5% have DMO/HMO dental plans. The rest are private patients including emergencies. Most of these PPO plans have annual caps of $2,000-$3,000 and some have no caps at all. Others have ridiculous payments/reimbursements where the insurance company pays zero dollars, and the patients pay zero dollars. Depending on the contract, other insurance companies will pay 50-70%, more or less for the same procedure code.
Others want to force you into accepting credit cards as a form of payment. Many others delay EOBs, stating that they never got the paperwork, which delays approvals and payments in order to keep the float and collect interest. When contacting these companies, they are offshore calls to India, Jamaica and the Philippines. We invariably ask for a U.S.-based manager or supervisor to expedite any request for predetermination and in some cases follow-up on reimbursements. We take the time to explain to our patients before we begin treatments of the positives and the negatives and inform the patients of possible co-payments. This way we can determine whether or not we will accept their plan.
In the end, we are better prepared to provide the most quality treatment for the patient and not be dictated by the insurance companies. Beware of some of these insurance companies subleasing their plans to carriers, forcing you to accept them, which we do not have to legally do. All providers should be aware of these gimmicks and provide a program in their office as to whether or not to be on the panel of these insurance companies. My final advice is that I’ve advocated to the ADA and several unions that dentists should be included in the design of the various benefits. Who knows better how to formulate a fair and reasonable plan designed to provide quality treatment and fees?
