Here are five key developments in Florida’s dental industry since Aug. 1:
1. Tampa-based Westchase Smiles Institute purchased a 3,000-square-foot standalone building for $1.1 million to relocate its practice.
2. In 2024, more than 146,000 Florida residents visited emergency departments for preventable dental conditions — a 25% increase from 2021, according to the Well Florida Health Planning Council and Floridians for Dental Access. Over 4,000 of those patients required hospitalization.
3. The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing dental therapy during the 2025 legislative session, but the measure stalled in the Senate after opposition from the Florida Dental Association. The issue is expected to resurface in 2026, though pushback from the association, which has long raised concerns about care quality and program costs, may again block progress.
4. Boca Raton-based Sage Dental acquired The Dental Group in Oakland Park, Fla. The practice includes three dentists offering services in general dentistry, oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics, restorative dentistry, emergency care, implants and clear aligners.
5. Henderson, Nev.-based PDS Health opened Dentists of Kissimmee as part of a broader August expansion, which included six new practices across five states. PDS now supports more than 1,000 locations in 24 states.
