Mr. Faler will serve on the panel “DSOs, Private Equity and More: How Consolidation is Changing Dentistry” at Becker’s Future of Dentistry Roundtable. As part of an ongoing series, Becker’s is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference on Oct. 27-28 in Chicago.
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Question: Where do you see the dental industry headed?
Jason Faler: I think that is a question we are all asking right now, and much of it will be dictated by two things: How (and if) dentistry collectively decides what role it wants to play as part of “healthcare” overall, to include participation in Medicare and Medicaid, and the degree to which the rapid and massive expansion of DSOs and private equity continues on its current course. The impact of this will dictate whether independent and private practice dentistry exists in any meaningful way in the future and, with specific reference to private equity, whether dentistry becomes simply a way to extract maximum profitability for investors or continues to be a legitimate clinical practice with patients and outcomes at the center.
Q: What are you most excited about right now and what makes you nervous?
JF: I am excited about the advances in technology and the prospect of further integrating dentistry under the umbrella of health and wellness. I’m most nervous about what I consider to be near-predatory tactics by some private equity groups wielding impossible promises and raiding dentistry with the sole purpose of extracting maximum profit on the backs of providers, patients and clinical quality.
Q: How are you thinking about growth and investments for the next year or two?
JF: Technology, people and diversification of revenue.
Q: What will dental leaders and executives need to be effective leaders for the next five years?
JF: A well-honed sense of market dynamics, adaptability and great relationships with payers, patients and industry partners.