Several dental companies, practices and organizations have had to make difficult decisions as the industry battles economic pressures.
Here are four bankruptcies, layoffs and closures Becker’s has reported on in recent months:
1. The Minnesota Office of the Attorney General reached a settlement with the Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee of Woodbury Dental Arts. The practice closed unexpectedly in 2024 after Dr. Kamel said he “ran out of money” and filed for bankruptcy, leaving patients with unfinished dental work and no answers. The settlement enables patients affected by the closure to obtain refunds for services they paid in advance for but never received.
2. ICoreConnect filed for bankruptcy June 2 to retain control over its assets and operations after being notified of its assets being auctioned by its creditor, PIGI Solutions. Shortly after the bankruptcy filing, dental software company Standard Dental agreed to acquire iCoreConnect’s assets.
3. The Harvard School of Dental Medicine recently announced it is laying off staff at its dental center in Boston. The layoffs come after Harvard permanently closed its dental clinic in Cambridge, Mass., in October, citing financial constraints and damage the clinic sustained from a recent fire. The school’s Boston clinic absorbed the staff and operations of the Cambridge clinic after the closure. The dental center currently employs 80 staff members across a variety of roles, but it is currently unclear which or how many positions will be affected by the layoffs. It is also unknown when the layoffs will take place.
4. Cleveland-based MetroHealth closed its dental clinic in Cleveland Oct. 3 in an effort to cut costs amid financial challenges. The move was one of six office closures the health system announced Aug. 25 as part of its budget restabilization plan. MetroHealth said the cost of treating uninsured individuals in the Cleveland area has increased, with its philanthropic care costs doubling since 2022 and now exceeding $1 million a day.
