The CEOs of the five largest DSOs have led their companies through several major growth milestones over the years, now overseeing a combined network of roughly 5,600 practices nationwide.
Here are the CEOs of the five largest DSOs in the U.S., listed in alphabetical order:
Patrick Bauer. President and CEO of Heartland Dental (Effingham, Ill.): Mr. Bauer has been president of Heartland Dental since 2009, and before becoming CEO in 2015, he served as COO since 1997. He has more than 25 years of experience in dental and healthcare operations management.
Steve Bilt. CEO of Smile Brands (Costa Mesa, Calif.): Mr. Bilt co-founded Smile Brands in 2016 and has led the company to support more than 600 practices in the U.S. Before launching Smile Brands, Mr. Bilt served as vice president of finance for Vivra, formerly one of the largest providers of outpatient kidney dialysis services. He has won several awards over the years, including People Focused CEO of the Year and Healthcare CEO of the Year from the American Business Awards.
Robert Fontana. Chair and CEO of The Aspen Group (Chicago): Mr. Fontana originally founded the company as Aspen Dental in 1998. The company rebranded in 2021 to reflect its expansion, taking on dental implants, urgent care and medical aesthetics. He now oversees the organization’s more than 1,400 locations in 46 states.
Stephen Thorne IV. Founder and CEO of PDS Health (Henderson, Nev.): Mr. Thorne founded PDS in 1994. He has overseen the company through its recent venture into the medical space, now leading more than 1,000 dental and primary care practices in the U.S. In addition to his leadership at PDS, he is a board member for several dental schools and organizations, including Harvard University, High Point University and the ADA Forsyth Institute.
Chris Steven Villanueva, DMD. Founder and CEO of MB2 Dental (Dallas): Dr. Villanueva founded MB2 Dental in 2007. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville and his dental degree from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He has overseen the DPO’s growth to more than 800 practices in 45 states.
