The American Economic Liberties Project has released model legislation that would strengthen corporate practice of dentistry laws, according to a Dec. 18 news release from the organization.
Here are six things to know:
- All but five states have laws that attempt to restrict the corporate practice of dentistry but there are a number of loopholes and workarounds, such as DSOs.
- The state laws are meant to stop non-dentists from owning or controlling dental practices in order to maintain clinical autonomy.
- In some cases, the dentist who partners with a DSO remains the legal owner of the practice, but the DSO takes over operational control over finances, staffing and strategic decisions.
- In 2005, 85% of dentists in the U.S. were practice owners, compared to 73% in 2023.
- There were at least 161 private equity deals in the dental industry in 2024, the most of any healthcare sector.
- The model legislation not only prohibits non-dentists from owning practices, but bans common workarounds including DSOs.
Read the full model legislation here.
