DSOs and dental practices becoming proactive instead of reactive, the advancement of 3D printing, and AI that creates a better patient experience are three reasons for optimism for dentistry’s future.
Dentists and DSO leaders are looking forward to the continued evolution of the industry, driven by emerging technologies and more sustainable careers for new graduates.
The 26 leaders featured in this article are speaking at Becker’s 2026 Fall Future of Dentistry Roundtable, set for Sept. 14-15 at the Hilton 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 emerging opportunity in dentistry is most exciting to you right now?
Hamza Asumah, MD. Director, Operations of Juniper Services (Sparks, Nev.): The opportunity I’m most excited about right now is the convergence of operational intelligence and AI-driven workflow automation inside DSOs — specifically the ability to turn real-time clinical and financial data into predictive decision-making at the practice level. We are at an inflection point where the gap between high-performing and underperforming locations within a DSO network is no longer primarily a talent problem — it’s a data visibility problem.
Tools that embed AI into revenue cycle management, scheduling optimization and same-store production analytics are giving operations leaders the ability to intervene upstream, before revenue leaks, before walkout balances compound and before provider underperformance becomes a trend.
As someone running multistate operations across general dentistry, pediatrics, orthodontics and oral surgery, the practical implication is enormous: we can finally move from reactive reporting to proactive management at scale. The DSOs that build intelligence into their operating model now — not just their tech stack — will be the ones investors are still interested in five years from now.
Debra Bafia. Office Manager at Ethos Dental Group (Munster, Ind.): The most exciting opportunity I am seeing in dental as of late is the introduction of AI into the revenue cycle management. While we aren’t looking to replace any of our team, being able to make the patient flow more efficient and more accurate is crucial. From the introduction of using AI to obtain dental benefits, using it to highlight clinical needs to our patients and then using it to show insurers the clinical need, as well as posting payments, dentistry and AI have taken an exciting turn. I have high hopes for how AI can help shape future dental practices, as well as how the RCM may be changed over the upcoming years.
Sibera Brannon, DDS. Dentist and Owner of Affordable Dentures and Implants (Sun City, Ariz.): One of the most exciting opportunities in dentistry right now is the shift from simply producing dentistry to creating a larger impact through technology, mentorship and comprehensive patient care.
Digital workflows, AI integration, guided surgery and modern restorative systems are allowing general dentists to deliver care at a level that was once limited to highly specialized environments. At the same time, we’re also seeing the growth of more integrated support and operational models that can help doctors focus more energy on patient outcomes, leadership and team development.
What excites me most is how these advancements create opportunities not only for better clinical efficiency, but also for mentorship, education and more purpose-driven growth within the profession. I believe the future of dentistry will belong to clinicians who can combine strong clinical skills with adaptability, leadership and authentic connection to the people they serve.
Jeffrey Burch, DMD. Co-Founder of Burch Dental Partners (Rockford, Ill.): Honestly, what excites me most is using AI agents to replace new hires in the support side of things. We then take that money and pay our human team members more. The folks who learn to work with AI should be the best paid people in the organization.
Additionally, all of us are paying about $299 a month per office for these dashboard tools. Across 16 offices, that’s almost $60,000 a year. An agent can pull those same numbers on demand. So a leaner team, better wages, smaller software bill. That’s where I’m headed.
Phil Cassis. Co-founder and CEO of Providence Dental Partners (Atlanta): What excites me most about dentistry right now is the industry’s shift from a reactive, procedure-based model to a proactive, predictive, technology-enabled healthcare experience. AI is rapidly improving both clinical and business operations by enhancing diagnosis, treatment planning, scheduling, patient communication and operational decision-making. These tools are helping practices deliver more consistent care while creating a better overall patient experience.
I’m also excited by how DSOs are evolving beyond pure scale and becoming true clinical platforms focused on doctor development, education, technology adoption and long-term patient outcomes. The organizations that successfully combine technology, clinical excellence and operational sophistication will define the future of dentistry.
Manu Chaudhry, MS, DDS, President, Capitol Dental Care (Salem, Ore.): I am focused on scaling an objective metric for dental disease. Dentistry is still largely organized around procedures, visits and reimbursement codes instead of the level of disease a person is experiencing. We need a measure that directly ties to oral health: diabetes has A1C, hypertension has blood pressure and obesity has BMI. Dentistry needs the same kind of objective benchmark so we can connect oral health risk, disease burden and the right interventions to measurable improvement in better oral health and overall health outcomes.
Our vision is to design a healing system and a dental treatment system. The treatment system remains important, and we all focus on better paths to meet people earlier, before disease advances. Medicinal care, including silver diamine fluoride, Curodont and other minimally invasive therapies, provide a better way to treat disease earlier, preserve tooth structure and move away from surgery as the default response.
All dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, community health workers and partners across social health organizations have a role in helping people access care earlier and more consistently. Our just cause is a dental care system centered on freedom from dental disease and aligned with the ultimate goal of the Quadruple Aim, so all people live in full health, well-being and their potential.
Aditya Desai, DDS. Chief Clinical Officer of Familia Dental (Clovis, N.M.): AI represents a generational shift in dentistry — moving the profession from a reactive, workflow-heavy model to a predictive, intelligence-driven ecosystem. As AI becomes embedded across clinical, operational and administrative layers, it will not only streamline workflows and reduce human error, but also fundamentally redefine how care is delivered and measured. The most exciting opportunity lies in its potential to unify clinical decision-making with real-time insurance intelligence, where prior authorizations become obsolete and claim denials are significantly reduced through predictive validation before care is even rendered. Ultimately, AI will elevate the standard of documentation from a compliance requirement to a strategic asset — capturing richer, more accurate clinical narratives that improve patient outcomes, strengthen trust and enable a more transparent, efficient healthcare system.
Jaideep Deshpande. Executive Director, Strategy and Marketing of University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry: I am really excited about a suite of technologies that will enable same-day restoration. Instead of sending molds to a lab and waiting days, if not weeks, for crowns, aligners or guards, dentists can now scan, design and print biocompatible appliances in a single appointment using compact, high-speed 3D printers. This will tremendously help patients who would otherwise have to make at least three trips to a dentist.
Another area that I am looking forward to, which is still in its infancy, is regenerative dentistry. This is an evolving field of tissue engineering that aims to repair or regrow damaged teeth, gums and jawbone using the body’s natural healing mechanisms, stem cells and bioactive materials. This technology shifts the focus from artificial, synthetic replacements to natural tissue restoration, which, I guess, patients will prefer in this world of artificial intelligence.
Joseph Feldsien. Senior Vice President, Integrated Care of PDS Health (Henderson, Nev.): The most exciting part of the future of dentistry is related to the change in healthcare coming to dentistry. Dentistry is going to continue to become part of big healthcare. The mouth body connection is real, and health systems, regulators and politicians are going to make sure it is part of the solution to address the healthcare crisis in this country. PDS Health is leading the way by increasing the use of salivary diagnostics, blood pressure readings and A1C readings to help patients get more value and more prevention.
Jay Glazer. Director, Business Development of DC Dental (Baltimore): The most exciting opportunity in dentistry right now is the shift from reactive dentistry to predictive, preventive, and personalized care powered by AI and digital diagnostics. For decades, dentistry has largely been built around finding disease and fixing it. What’s changing now is the ability to detect risk earlier, intervene sooner and continuously monitor patients between visits. AI-assisted imaging, salivary diagnostics, remote monitoring and teledentistry are making that possible.
What makes this especially compelling is that it improves three things at once:
- Clinical outcomes through earlier detection of caries, bone loss and periodontal disease means less invasive treatment and better long-term oral health.
- Patient experience with visual AI overlays and digital workflows that help patients actually understand their condition, which increases trust and treatment acceptance.
- Practice efficiency by automation reducing administrative friction, from scheduling and insurance verification to follow-ups and communication.
I also think dentistry is uniquely positioned compared with other healthcare fields because it already has highly visual diagnostics, recurring patient relationships, measurable outcomes and a large amount of structured imaging data. That creates an ideal environment for AI adoption.
A second opportunity I find especially interesting is the emergence of the digital oral health ecosystem — where care doesn’t stop when the patient leaves the office. Remote monitoring, teledentistry, behavioral nudges, wearable integrations and membership-based care models could turn dentistry into a much more continuous health relationship instead of a twice-a-year transaction.
Long term, I think the biggest winners in dentistry will not simply be the practices with the best clinical skills — those are already expected. The winners will be practices that combine excellent clinical care, hospitality-level patient experience and intelligent technology workflows. That combination could fundamentally reshape how patients perceive dental care.
Sherry Hassler. COO and EOS Integrator of Today’s Dental Nebraska (Omaha): The most exciting opportunity in dentistry right now is AI’s ability to shift DSOs from reactive to predictive. For too long, we’ve been managing our practices by looking in the rearview mirror — analyzing historical data and course-correcting after the fact. AI changes that equation. When deployed thoughtfully across locations, it surfaces forward-facing metrics that let you see around corners — anticipating patient demand, staffing needs and production gaps before they become problems. The DSO world has gotten very good at scale. AI is now making us good at foresight. That’s a fundamentally different way to lead.
Haim Haviv. Founder and CEO of Hudson Dental (New York City): One of the most exciting opportunities in dentistry right now is using technology and operational infrastructure to create a more connected, patient-centered experience.
Tools like centralized communication systems, cloud-based practice management and better data visibility allow practices to operate more efficiently while giving clinicians more time to focus on patient care. At the same time, advancements in imaging, digital workflows and treatment planning are making dentistry more predictable and accessible for patients.
The real opportunity is not just adopting new technology; it’s integrating it to improve consistency, strengthen teams and meaningfully enhance the patient experience.
RJ Jerome. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Heartland Dental (Effingham, Ill.): I would say that the advancements in AI beyond individual point solutions to fully enabled workflows is what excites me the most. Better stated, the convergence of AI and clinical workflow integration, where AI not only assists in diagnosis but orchestrates the entire patient journey from detection to treatment to outcomes tracking. AI is moving beyond being a diagnostic tool and is becoming an operational teammate that connects data, automates friction and lets doctors focus on the clinical decisions that matter most.
Johnny Joseph, DMD. Founder and CEO of Pediatric Dentistry Asleep Group (Pittsburgh): One of the most exciting opportunities in dentistry is expanding access to care through innovative delivery models that bridge the gap between dental practices, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals and technology. Too many children, patients with special healthcare needs and underserved populations still face significant barriers to receiving timely treatment. By leveraging virtual consultations, strategic healthcare partnerships and integrated care pathways, we can provide safer, more efficient and more accessible dental care while improving patient outcomes and experiences. I believe the future of dentistry will be defined not only by clinical advancements, but by our ability to reach the patients who need us most.
Geith Kallas, DDS. Dentist and CEO of Smile Makers Dental Center (Tyson’s Corner, Va.): I’m thrilled to see the rapid evolution of dentistry, especially with the integration of technology and innovative care models. Here are some of the most exciting emerging opportunities:
AI-Powered Diagnostics and Treatment Planning: AI is revolutionizing dentistry, enabling earlier disease detection, more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans. AI can analyze X-rays, CT scans and patient data to provide predictive insights, allowing dentists to focus on high-value care.
Teledentistry: Virtual consultations and remote monitoring are becoming increasingly popular, improving access to care, reducing wait times and enhancing patient engagement.
3D Printing and Digital Dentistry: In-office 3D printing enables same-day restorations, reducing lab turnaround times and improving patient satisfaction.
Personalized and Minimally Invasive Dentistry: Advances in genetic testing and AI-driven analytics are enabling tailored treatment approaches, prioritizing preventive care and preserving natural tooth structure.
DSOs and Collaborative Care Models: DSOs are transforming practice operations, providing centralized support, and fostering innovation, allowing dentists to focus on delivering exceptional patient care.
These emerging trends are poised to reshape the dental landscape, improving patient outcomes, and creating new opportunities for growth and innovation.
Maria Kunstadter, DDS. Co-Founder and CEO of The TeleDentists (Overland Park, Kan.): Dental-medical integration is the most exciting opportunity for dentistry today. Being healthcare providers, we have the opportunity to make a great impact on our patients’ total health. The blood pressure screening will soon be accompanied by glucose testing and more. Coordinating with the patients’ providers will improve health outcomes and reduce total healthcare costs. Everybody wins!
Benjamin Lashley, DDS. CEO of Maple Park Dental Associates (North Platte, Neb.): One of the most exciting things I see in the near future of dentistry is technology. Technology has recently revolutionized the clinical side of dentistry with new digital products and advancements in material science. The industry is now focusing on how technology can assist us on the business side. Some products are promising things that would be fantastic but are not quite ready for prime time. As this technology evolves, I think we can improve how we treat and care for patients, both clinically and non-clinically, in our service based industry.
Alan Law, DDS, PhD. Chief Clinical Officer, Specialty Practices of Park Dental Partners (Minneapolis): One of the most exciting emerging opportunities in dentistry is the ability to deliver truly integrated, multi-specialty care that improves both clinical outcomes and the patient experience. At The Dental Specialists, an affiliate of Park Dental Partners, we’ve built a model where endodontists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, periodontists and prosthodontists work collaboratively, often under one roof, to design comprehensive treatment solutions for patients with complex needs. This kind of coordinated care allows specialists to efficiently combine their expertise, creating seamless, patient-centered treatment plans and reducing fragmentation in care delivery. As dentistry continues to evolve, I believe this collaborative, multi-specialty model represents a powerful opportunity to elevate quality, enhance access to advanced care, and redefine what patients expect from their dental experience.
Jenifer Minarsich, Marketing Director, Seuss Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry (Scottsdale, Ariz.): What excites me most right now is the integration of AI into dentistry — both clinically and operationally. I’m fascinated by how AI can enhance diagnostics, support treatment planning and improve consistency in patient care, while also creating a smoother, more engaging patient experience. I see technology not as a replacement for the human side of dentistry, but as a tool that allows us to focus even more on relationships, education and personalized care.
Nimesh Patel, DMD. COO of Brite Dental Partners (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.): The most exciting emerging opportunity in dentistry right now is the convergence of AI, automation and operational centralization. AI has allowed for a plethora of customized software solutions to come available. I’m sure future innovation will happen at a rapid pace.
Francesca Pregano. COO of Smile Makers Dental Center (Tyson’s Corner, Va.): The most exciting shift I have witnessed in dentistry right now is what AI diagnostics is doing for our doctors’ confidence at the chair. When a doctor can pull up a radiograph and have AI flag what might otherwise be a subtle finding, it removes the second-guessing. They are no longer relying solely on their own eyes at the end of a long day. What I have observed is that it gives our clinical team a clearer picture to present to patients, which means those conversations become more confident and more precise. Patients respond to that clarity. When a doctor explains a finding supported by visual evidence, case acceptance improves, not because anyone is being sold to, but because trust is established more quickly and authentically.
For a group practice operating across six locations, that consistency is invaluable. It means that every patient, regardless of which location they visit, receives the same standard of diagnostic clarity. What excites me most is not the technology itself, but what it does for the people using it and, ultimately, the patients they serve.
Vilas Sastry, DMD. CEO of Teledentistry.com (Las Vegas): In 2026, the absolute most exciting emerging opportunity is the intersection of scanning and immediate in-office 3D printing. For the first two decades of my career, dentistry was highly reactive and burdened by a lot of “wait and see” logistics. If a patient needed a crown or a bridge, we took a gooey impression, sent it to a lab, put in a temporary, and prayed it didn’t pop off over the next two weeks.
Today, that entire workflow is being revolutionized. Same-day restorations with 3D printing and
chairside milling has been around for a while, but seeing Glidewell’s Fastmill in action with its AI-integrated 3D printing is the real game-changer.
Instead of manual CAD design, we take an intraoral scan, AI predicts near perfect occlusal anatomy based on the patient’s specific bite, and corrects for design errors in minutes. We can then print highly accurate, biocompatible permanent crowns, bridges, surgical guides, or nightguards right in the office.
After 20 years of looking at the same four walls, this shift has completely revitalized my practice. It reduces human error, slashes lab costs and saves our patients from multiple visits. We are finally moving into an era of ultra-precise, hyper-personalized, preventative care where we can catch problems before they cause pain and fix them in a single afternoon. It’s a phenomenal time to be a dentist!
Bill Simon, DMD. Owner of City Smiles (Chicago): There are many opportunities in dentistry emerging today. Certainly much of it, as in many industries, revolves around AI and its potential to drive change. If I had to pick one however, it would be the emerging technologies related to 3D printing. As materials are developed that can be 3D printed to reliably replace the restorative materials that we commonly use in dentistry today, I believe we will see a seismic shift that surpasses that of the shifts from amalgam to composite and from porcelain/metal to zirconia.
Curtis Swogger. CEO of North Pittsburgh Oral Surgery (Pittsburgh): Artificial intelligence is no longer a future conversation — it’s here, and it’s solving real problems for oral surgery groups right now. At North Pittsburgh Oral Surgery, I’m genuinely excited about what AI makes possible. From clinical planning to operational efficiency, the solutions emerging across our industry are moving fast and the upside is significant. But for a referral-based organization like ours the AI application with the highest immediate return isn’t clinical. It’s relational. A smart CRM and referral tracking system gives us something we’ve never had before: real visibility into the health of our referring partner relationships. Which practices are growing with us. Which ones are cooling off? Where we have opportunities we’re not seeing. That kind of intelligence, deployed intentionally, changes everything about how we grow.
Here’s what makes me most optimistic about AI: the right technology doesn’t replace your team, it elevates them. When our people have better data, cleaner workflows and less friction in their day, they show up differently. They can focus on what matters most — building genuine relationships with our referring partners, delivering an exceptional patient experience and executing at a higher level. Culture and technology aren’t in tension with each other. When you implement the right solution thoughtfully and bring your team along in the process, technology becomes a culture accelerator. That’s the opportunity I see in front of us, and it’s why investing in both — together, not in sequence — is the right move.
What ties it all together is having the right people in the right seats, empowered by the right tools. A referral tracking system and a dedicated provider relations manager aren’t separate investments; they’re two halves of the same strategy: one surfaces the intelligence, and the other acts on it to deepen partnerships and grow NPOS’ presence where it matters most. Without that role, the data sits unused. Without the data, that person is flying blind. Together, they create a flywheel — informed outreach, stronger relationships, more referrals, better outcomes for patients and partners alike. Relationships must be fed intentionally and consistently. Investing in the people and the technology to do that well isn’t overhead. It’s a growth strategy.
Mariz Tanious, DDS. Chief Dental Officer of Affinity Dental Management (Holyoke, Mass.): The most exciting emerging opportunity in dentistry today is using AI tools to make dental teams more efficient. These include AI systems, like Overjet and Pearl that read radiographs and images to help dentists more consistently detect dental disease and support clearer treatment planning and documentation. Other tools from TechNova Time act like digital assistants in the back office and front office, while also handling repetitive revenue cycle tasks. The future is here. Before you know it, we will have robots in the dental office. As more vendors rush to build AI, dental leaders must carefully decide which tools truly solve real problems in their organization and which are just noise, so they invest in technology that genuinely improves care and efficiency.
Sami Webb, DDS. CEO of Epic4 Specialty Partners (Scottsbluff, Neb.): One of the most exciting opportunities in dentistry right now is the ability to create more sustainable careers for the next generation of doctors — especially as the profession becomes increasingly female, with women now making up more than half of dental graduates.
I believe doctor-led organizations and DSOs have a tremendous opportunity to help support work-life balance by taking administrative and operational burdens off clinicians so they can focus on patient care, leadership and their families. The traditional model often required dentists to carry the weight of everything — clinical care, staffing, HR, payroll, operations and ownership stress — which has contributed to significant burnout across the profession.
We are now seeing more and more providers in their 40s and 50s actively looking to sell their practices, reduce clinical days or leave the profession altogether because the pressure and stress have simply become unsustainable. That should be a wake-up call for the industry. Dentistry is an incredible profession, but if we want to preserve it long-term, we have to build models that better support the people providing the care.
As a practicing orthodontist and CEO, I’ve lived that reality personally. In fact, my own daughter chose not to pursue dentistry because she watched how demanding the profession was. I think the future of dentistry depends on building environments where doctors can still have meaningful, successful careers while also being able to go home, be present with their families and enjoy life outside the office. That shift is not only healthier for providers, but ultimately better for patients and the long-term future of the profession as well.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Future of Dentistry Roundtable, taking place September 14-15 in Chicago, dental leaders and executives will gain insights into emerging technologies, practice growth strategies and the evolving landscape of dental care delivery, with a focus on innovation, patient experience and operational excellence. Apply for complimentary registration now.
