DSOs have kicked off 2025 with initiatives to bolster staffing and support their practice partners.
Dental organizations have placed more emphasis on doctor satisfaction in recent years as competition in the industry heats up and providers become more selective and critical of DSOs. This has led to the launch of new programs to provide continuing education and leadership opportunities, as well as alternative pathways to practice ownership.
Lexington, Ky.-based PepperPointe Partnerships graduated its first class of doctors from its leadership development program in January. The DSO launched the program in 2021 to help associate doctors learn soft and advanced skills in preparation for ownership. The next class of associate doctors will be welcomed this year.
Henderson, Nev.-based PDS Health recently expanded its specialty DSO and specialist ownership model with the addition of four specialty groups across seven states. PDS Health’s model opens a path to ownership, provides financial and operational support and allows specialists to maintain their clinical autonomy.
PDS Health also partnered with Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine in South Jordan, Utah, to provide students with hands-on clinical training. Students will be able to practice at the DSO’s locations throughout Nevada and gain experience treating patients from underserved communities.
Dental school partnerships offer a unique way for DSOs to connect with future dentists while ensuring that dental students are equipped with the skills necessary to be successful in the field after graduation.
Effingham, Ill.-based Heartland Dental is collaborating with Concorde Career Colleges to open training campuses for hygienists and dental assistants. Heartland Dental, which has hired more than 300 graduates from Concorde’s dental hygiene program, is funding the construction and will provide scholarships to students.
The two organizations broke ground on the first co-branded campus in Fort Myers, Fla., earlier this month. The campus will train up to 190 hygienists and dental assistants each year after officially opening later this year.
New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Dental365 recently introduced its Advanced Learning Series to support clinical excellence within its network. The program consists of one-day lectures presented by a group of speakers, providing the opportunity for individual, experiential learning in a small group setting.
“We understand that the best trained clinicians will deliver the most consistent high quality dental care. Accordingly, we continue to heavily invest in innovative ways to support the expertise and the further development of our doctors,” Dental365 CEO Scott Asnis said. “This approach will provide our doctors with the unique opportunity for individual learning with direct access to top clinicians in a small personal group setting.”
