Continuing to integrate new technologies, personalizing each patients’ experience and adding more specialty services are some of the top ways that DSOs and dental practices are looking to grow within the next year.
The 20 leaders featured in this article are speaking at Becker’s 2025 Fall Future of Dentistry Roundtable, set for Sept. 29-30 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.
If you work at a DSO or dental practice and would like to be considered as a speaker, please contact Scott King at sking@beckershealthcare.com.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What are the best opportunities you have to grow your dental practice/DSO in the next 12 months?
Mark Censoprano, Co-CEO of MAX Surgical Specialty Management (Hackensack, N.J.): At MAX Surgical Specialty Management, we’re continuing to focus on growth in the Northeast, driven by partnerships with elite surgeons who have a strong commitment to clinical excellence. We intentionally stay in close proximity to the practices we serve, with many boots on the ground in every market. Delivering exceptional support requires a deep understanding of each market’s nuances, from patient expectations and referral dynamics to supply chains and the reimbursement landscape, as well as the ability to be on site at a moment’s notice when the need arises. We don’t enter a market unless we can fully support our surgeon partners with the systems and resources they need to deliver the optimal patient experience in every interaction.
Alexander Einbinder, DDS. Dentist at Caterpillar Dental (West Babylon, N.Y.): Focusing on leveraging technology to enhance patient experience and operational efficiency, such as teledentistry and AI-driven diagnostic tools to attract and retain patients. Expanding service offerings, like cosmetic dentistry, implants or orthodontics, can tap into high-demand markets and increase revenue streams. Strengthening digital marketing strategies, including SEO and targeted social media campaigns to boost visibility and patient acquisition. Fostering partnerships with local businesses and accepting their insurance policies or other healthcare providers can enhance referrals and community presence.
Joe Feldsien. President, Medical of PDS Health (Henderson, Nev.): The opportunity for every DSO to return to the profitable growth they need to meet the growing demands of patients related to whole body health. The healthcare crisis in America represents a significant opportunity for every dentist. The DSO that builds into their clinical culture a patient engagement strategy and speaks to the connection of the mouth and the body is the DSO that is going to be best positioned to benefit from the healthcare crisis. Patients are going to become more empowered to take control of their health. When providers speak into this, they will benefit with loyal and compliant patients.
Armin Ghamari, DDS. Clinic Director of 42 North Dental (Waltham, Mass.): Our biggest opportunity lies in personalizing each patient’s experience from their first interaction with us to the completion of their care. Patients today expect transparency and tailored service in every part of their lives, and dentistry should be no different.
We are combining technology with human connection to deliver that level of personalization. By giving patients clarity, guidance and support at every step, we have seen higher treatment acceptance and stronger long-term retention, which directly correlates practice growth.
Just as patients now expect customized experiences in retail and financial services, they are beginning to expect the same from healthcare. By making personalization scalable across our practices, we are ensuring that every patient feels understood and supported, and that is where we see the greatest opportunity for growth in the year ahead.
Richard Hall. Chairman of the Board of U.S. Oral Surgery Management (Irving, Texas): The best opportunities for growth over the next 12 months for U.S. Oral Surgery Management include: Continuing growth through disciplined M&A with a focus on building density in existing markets while continuing to pursue new market opportunities in targeted states. Organic growth through rate and volume improvements, surgeon recruiting and marketing to strengthen and expand referral relationships as well as digital marketing to develop direct patient self referrals. De novo development with new locations within existing practices as well as select green field opportunities where appropriate.
Haim Haviv. Founder and CEO of Hudson Dental (New York City): Over the next 12 months, we’re focused on building practices that can truly serve patients end-to-end. By adding specialty care and optimizing workflows, we’re driving growth from within while giving patients fewer reasons to leave our network. Thoughtful tech integration helps us tie it all together.
Geith Kallas, DDS. Dentist and CEO of Smile Makers Dental Center (Tyson’s Corner, Va.): Over the next 12 months, I’ll be focusing on the following strategic opportunities: We’ll pursue strategic opportunities to acquire new practices and expand our existing ones, increasing our market presence and patient base. We’ll leverage AI-powered tools to enhance patient care, streamline operations, and improve diagnostic accuracy. To further enhance our commitment to same-day treatment, we’re integrating cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing. We’ll implement unified systems to consolidate scheduling, patient records and reporting across our locations, promoting seamless operations and optimize collection processes to accelerate payments and reduce administrative burdens.
We’ll focus on driving measurable growth in production, collections and patient volume at each location by adding new hours and talented associates. We’ll continue using our mentorship program, enhancing as we go, for new and current dentists, to attract and retain top talent while prioritizing patient retention. We’ll expand our service offerings by introducing new dental services and specialties, catering to a broader patient base and increasing revenue streams.
By prioritizing these initiatives, I’m confident that Smile Makers Dental Center will continue to thrive and provide exceptional care to our patients.
Sathya Kallur, DDS. Chief Specialty Officer of ProSmile (Woodbridge, N.J.): The No. 1 focus for the next 12 months that can add value to the services we provide for our patients and grow our DSO is providing care related to airway health and sleep related disorders. Identifying and taking early intervention in kids and corrective measures in adults.
Maria Kunstadter, DDS. Co-Founder and CEO of The TeleDentists (Overland Park, Kan.): We add new dentists all the time and expand our ability to see more patients, from the comfort of their home or office, virtually. No additional overhead, just more patient contact hours. This not only offers new avenues for care, but opens up chair time for more revenue-generating appointments. Teledentistry has been shown to reduce no-shows for appointments, improving cancellation rates. This also is a great way to attract staff, giving them the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule. There are virtually endless opportunities to expand and grow.
Sara Mahmood, DDS. Founder and CEO of brush365 (Dallas): In terms of growth, our best opportunity in the next 12 months is a blend of expansion, technology and culture. We’re entering new markets, centralizing advanced digital workflows and doubling down on team development. These three pillars—scale, innovation and people—are what will allow brush365 to sustainably grow while continuing to deliver dentistry with integrity.
Leann May. COO of Iowa Dental Associates (Spirit Lake): Our best opportunities in the next 12 months center on aligning operations for consistency across all practices, creating a scalable foundation for growth. We will leverage advanced technology to streamline workflows and improve both patient experience and team efficiency. Strategic acquisitions, with flexible equity and ownership models for doctors, will expand our footprint while maintaining alignment with our culture. Finally, vendor partnerships through our RFP process will drive meaningful cost reductions, strengthening financial performance and positioning us for long-term success.
Nimesh Patel, DMD. COO of Brite Dental Partners (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.): Implementing AI phone answering services and offshore call centers present the best opportunities to help grow our practices. We are currently working on both initiatives. We anticipate that these efforts will help us reduce headcount and enhance the hourly rate we can offer our front desk team.
Francesca Pregano. COO of Smile Makers Dental Center (Tyson’s Corner, Va.): Over the next 12 months, our greatest opportunities for growth lie in two parallel strategies: maximizing same-store performance and building scalable systems to support continued expansion through acquisitions.
First, to drive same-store growth, we are focused on elevating the performance of our clinical and support teams. This includes training our dentists to deliver more comprehensive treatment plans, strengthening referral protocols between general dentists and specialists, and implementing strategies that improve patient retention and enhance the overall patient experience. Additionally, we see significant opportunity in expanding our membership plan to better serve patients without insurance and ensure comprehensive care is accessible to all.
Second, we are committed to building scalable systems that allow us to replicate success across all six of our current locations and future acquisitions. This means optimizing the full patient lifecycle, from attraction to retention, while strengthening our revenue cycle management processes. By focusing on faster reimbursements, higher rates of point-of-service collections, and reducing days sales outstanding, we are ensuring stronger cash flow and financial efficiency.
Finally, we will continue leveraging technology and remote teams to reduce overhead and streamline operations, while carefully monitoring the profitability of each practice to remain aligned with our target EBITDA. This combination of operational excellence, financial discipline, and team development positions us for sustainable growth and scalability in the year ahead.
Sundeep Rawal, DMD. Senior Vice President, Implant Support Services of Aspen Dental (Chicago): Looking at the next 12 months, I think Aspen Dental’s biggest growth opportunities are around expanding implant services and strengthening our continuing education and support initiatives, both of which help us attract the kind of high-quality doctors we want in our network of independently owned dental practices. The demand for implants just keeps growing, and we need to be ready for that. Our Learning and Development platform, which includes The Aspen Group University and the Oral Care Center for Excellence, gives doctors across the Aspen supported network access to comprehensive implant training that most traditional practices just can’t offer. And with our Practice Ownership Program that we’ve been running for over 20 years, we can show doctors a real path to ownership while they’re building skills in these advanced procedures. By having more doctors trained in implant procedures, we can better serve patients’ expanding needs.
Khuzaan Screwvalla. Vice President, IT of Great Lakes Dental Partners (Chicago): Near term, we grow by leaning hard into our AI stack: BOLA AI for voice perio, detect AI over radiographs, smart call automation and RCM copilots that cut friction without dinging the patient experience so case acceptance rises organically at the chair. These tools make visits smoother, decisions clearer and admin invisible.
Longer term, insurers are steering dentistry into the front line of preventive health (oral-systemic link), and more people see a dentist than a GP. Our play is to position GLDP as the tech-forward dental front door to healthcare, integrating data and workflows to capture that shift and get paid for outcomes, not just procedures.
Leah Sigler. President of The TeleDentists (Overland Park, Kan.): Some of the best opportunities to grow a practice is with teledentistry: expanding access (after-hours, emergencies, rural patients), streamlining workflows (virtual intakes, post-op visits, specialty consults) and building partnerships with hospitals, senior care facilities, employers and schools. Teledentistry helps increase patient acquisition, retention and efficiency while positioning your practice as an innovator in care delivery. It’s also a great way to boost case acceptance with virtual second opinions and stand out by offering patients the convenience of 24/7 access.
Matthew Simko. Director of Brand Marketing at 42 North Dental (Waltham, Mass.): While new patient acquisition often dominates the conversation, one of the most overlooked growth opportunities lies in your existing patient base. Reactivating current patients is significantly more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, and because there’s already a relationship in place, treatment acceptance tends to be much higher.
Many of our supported dentists believe they’ve already presented treatment to every patient who would accept it. But when we dig into the data, specifically treatment plans, we consistently find hundreds of patients from the past 18 months who haven’t completed all or part of their recommended treatment. Often, all it takes is a simple phone call or text message to bring them back into the chair.
Anna Singh, DMD. Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations of Heartland Dental (Effingham, Ill.): The best growth opportunities for a dental practice or DSO in the next 12 months include expanding patient retention and case acceptance through stronger hygiene department digital presentations and using technology to increase patient engagement. Additionally, integrating AI tools can enhance operational efficiency in scheduling, diagnostics and patient communication, while optimizing provider productivity. Strategic growth may come from acquisitions, new locations or medical partnerships, paired with robust marketing and community outreach. Finally, investing in staff development and retention ensures long-term stability and scalability.
Mariz Tanious, DDS. Chief Dental Officer of Affinity Dental Management (Holyoke, Mass.): The best opportunities to grow our dental practice and DSO in the next 12 months extend beyond simply increasing revenue. At Affinity, we are prioritizing employee retention and the acquisition of talented practitioners, recognizing that a stable, skilled team forms the foundation for sustainable practice growth. Improving the quality of care remains a central goal, particularly through initiatives that educate patients about their dental conditions and the treatments they receive, which cultivates greater understanding and engagement. By empowering our patients with knowledge, we build their confidence and trust, driving greater satisfaction and loyalty. These strategic focuses ultimately support long-term success for our practices by strengthening both our team and patient relationships.
Emily Vanney, DDS. Chief Operating and Clinical Officer of United Dental Partners (Chicago): In the next 12 months I plan to help my DSO grow by hiring additional dentists to join our offices, expanding patient access to care and continuing to build our team’s ability to offer same day care to patients who need treatment. Offering same day care is one of the best ways to help patients improve their health in a timely manner, while also helping offices build busy schedules. It’s a win-win!
