Here are 10 recent updates on dental M&A for industry leaders to know:
1. DSOs could continue to face high interest rates and market volatility that will test their financial stability, according to Ian Mcnickle, the co-founder and CEO of Icon Dental Partners.
2. Becker’s covered more than 70 DSO affiliations during the first quarter of 2026 and more than 60 affiliations during the second quarter.
3. Three DSOs have recently added new financing partners and investments to support their growth.
4. The top 10 largest DSOs currently support a combined network of roughly 7,850 practices nationwide.
5. The DSO field is experiencing a high-demand, low-supply environment that is expected to continue for the next nine months, according to TUSK Practice Sales’ “Dental Market Report” for the second quarter of 2026.
6. Sixty-nine percent of DSOs expect to increase their acquisition activity this year, according to the TUSK report.
7. Several DSOs have begun to invest more in de novos for the unique benefits these offices bring.
8. Several states have introduced legislation to limit corporate entities’ ownership of dental practices and their influence on clinical decision-making.
9. Six DSOs have expanded their networks into new states so far this year.
10. DSOs that have networks between 26 and 50 offices have a growth rate of 2.8%, less than one-third that of smaller DSOs. Organizations in this range have just 55% of their practices growing, according to a report from Planet DDS.
