Boca Raton, Fla.-based Sage Dental plans to build upon its strengths to grow its newly launched pediatric dental brand.
The DSO recently acquired Tampa, Fla.-based Children’s Dentistry, its first office dedicated to pediatric dental care and orthodontics under the new Sage Dental Kids brand.
Sage Dental Chief Marketing Officer Jonathan Kaufman recently spoke with Becker's about how the DSO plans to differentiate and expand this new brand.
Editor's note: These responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What made Sage Dental want to launch this pediatric dental brand?
Jonathan Kaufman: Sage Dental has been a pioneer in providing comprehensive dentistry services under one roof since its founding over 20 years ago. Our original vision was to establish a practice where families could address all their dental needs in one place. This commitment still holds true today, with our expansive pediatric offering.
However, we recognize that children require a different approach, and parents need a comfortable and convenient experience that is easy for them and their children. This is why we launched Sage Dental Kids, a special facility designed to serve the unique needs of children and their parents.
We understand that parents expect a different environment when they bring their kids to the dentist. I think about my own approach with my children. If I weren't involved in dentistry, would I take my kids to my regular dentist, or would I choose a special facility tailored specifically to them, like I did when I was a child?
At Sage Dental Kids, parents and children can enjoy all the same benefits of the Sage network, including the Sage Dental Discount Plan, while experiencing a child-friendly environment that caters to their specific needs.
Q: What made Children’s Dentistry the perfect fit as Sage Dental's first pediatric practice?
JK: Dr. Greg Stepanski and his team have been pillars of exceptional patient care in the Tampa community for more than 25 years. After meeting their team and patients, it was clear that if we wanted to create a children's platform that is industry best-in-class, Dr. Stepanski was the perfect partner to collaborate with. Additionally, their practice is conveniently located in the same building as our Sage Dental of New Tampa location, making the combination of the two an ideal fit.
Q: How does Sage Dental intend to expand the brand this year?
JK: More than 50% of the patients we serve are parents with children. Across 120 dental practices and over 1 million patients seen, this represents a significant number of children in our care. Our focus is to continue serving all our patients, including our pediatric patients, as we have for many years in our existing Sage practices. This coexists with our dedication to developing the premier pediatric dentistry operation in healthcare.
For this venture, we aim to blend our advanced clinical technologies and streamlined patient convenience processes to create an in-practice experience that is enjoyable for kids and easy on parents.
We will build and refine this model based on significant feedback from the patients and parents we serve. While this is the inaugural Sage Dental Kids pediatric and orthodontic practice, it certainly won't be the last. We anticipate expanding our successful model to many of the other markets we serve in the near future.
Q: How will Sage Dental's pediatric services and brand differ from other DSOs that offer pediatric services?
JK: There are numerous outstanding pediatric providers across Florida and Georgia operating both as part of a DSO and as private practices. However, we believe that what distinguishes the Sage Dental Kids and Orthodontics brand from all others are the same qualities that attract patients to our Sage Dental practices.
By integrating the high-quality care, advanced clinical technologies and comprehensive services that Sage Dental is renowned for, with a dedicated focus on creating a child-friendly environment and experience, we aim to foster long-term relationships with our young patients. Our goal is for them to begin their dental journey with us as children and remain part of the Sage family for life.