The top three largest DSOs in the U.S. have worked hard this year to meet expansion goals and spearhead initiatives as leaders in the dental industry.
These organizations represent a collective 3,400 dental practices across the U.S.
Here is what these groups have accomplished so far in 2022 and where they stand now:
Heartland Dental (Effingham, Ill.)
Heartland Dental started 2022 anticipating 100 percent growth in practices built from the ground up, including opening 107 practices. The DSO said it would also focus on single practice affiliations in addition to adding group practices and regional DSOs to its network.
As of May, Heartland Dental added nearly 40 practices in 2022, expanding its network to support more than 2,400 dentists and 1,600 practices in 38 states. To continue its growth, Heartland Dental recently launched a brand campaign emphasizing its culture and business model, including testimonials from its dentists and hygienists.
Aspen Dental (Chicago)
In addition to practice growth, Aspen Dental, the DSO subsidiary of the Aspen Group, has been focused on supporting and innovating its network. The DSO currently supports nearly 2,000 dentists and more than 1,000 dental practices in 45 states.
The DSO announced in February that all of its offices would be fully digital by early 2023. It also committed to training 700 dentists in implant procedures this year as part of its ongoing training program, having trained more than 1,400 dentists as of April. Most recently, it added Payam Ataii, DMD, as senior vice president of orthodontics to educate and support network dentists on clear aligner use.
Aspen Dental and ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, another subsidiary of the Aspen Group, opened their first co-location in Albuquerque, N.M., in July. The co-location allows a wider variety of dental specialists to collaborate on-site to better serve patients. The DSO also acquired a nearly 7,000-square-foot shared property with MD Now Urgent Care clinic in Cape Coral, Fla., for $5.1 million earlier this month.
Pacific Dental Services (Irvine, Calif.)
Pacific Dental Services finished 2021 exceeding $2 billion in cumulative revenue and supporting more than 850 practices nationwide. The DSO kicked off this year with plans to add at least 100 practices and expand 30 existing practices due to patient demand.
The DSO made several technology changes and continued its efforts to expand integrated medical-dental care. It deployed the Citrix DaaS cloud-based practice management platform and Envista's AI-powered imaging software at its practices earlier this year. Most recently, it became the first DSO to integrate dental and medical data with Epic's electronic health record system.
As part of its integrated health initiatives, Pacific Dental Services partnered with Commonwealth Primary Care ACO to provide integrated medical-dental services to in-network patients, opened an integrated medical-dental practice in Las Vegas and raised awareness about the link between oral and heart health during American Heart Month in February.
Pacific Dental Services now supports more than 885 practices in 25 states.