While many DSOs chase growth through acquisitions, Chicago-based Aspen Dental is sticking to a different playbook: building practices from the ground up and letting consistency — not consolidation — drive expansion.
Aspen Dental has opened offices in several states this year, including Illinois, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina in just the last several weeks. The DSO supports nearly 1,100 practice locations across the U.S.
Rafeh Masood, the chief commercial officer at The Aspen Group, recently spoke with Becker’s to discuss the company’s accomplishments from this year and its goals for the rest of 2026.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: How would you describe Aspen Dental’s growth so far in 2026?
Rafeh Masood: I would describe it as strong, disciplined growth. Aspen Dental is a growth company, and you can see that clearly. We’ve opened 10 new locations so far this year across Georgia, New Jersey, Michigan, Texas, Utah, Missouri, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama recently, and that means more communities and more patients have access to quality, affordable dental care.
What stands out to me, particularly having joined The Aspen Group recently, is the growth is not just about adding locations. We’re also expanding our clinical capabilities, adopting technology at scale and continuing to invest in the infrastructure behind our practices. The growth also has to stay connected to our purpose. [Our] Day of Service returns Nov. 7, which is just ahead of Veterans Day, and this is a commitment we recently announced of giving back up to $100 million in donated dental care through our Healthy Mouth Movement program, and we’ve been really encouraged by how many practices have chosen to participate this year. So, when I think about growth, it’s not simply about locations. It’s expanding access and strengthening what we can deliver to patients as we scale.
Q: What factors can you attribute the company’s growth to?
RM: I think there are several things behind it. First, there’s discipline to where and how we open new practices. We go into markets where we see real patient need and opportunity, and every new Aspen Dental practice is supported by the same training systems and infrastructure from day one. That consistency becomes important at scale, as you can imagine.
Second is patient demand. Consumers want dental care that’s convenient, accessible and affordable. The Aspen Dental model is built around those needs. And then there’s everything behind the practice. The Aspen Group, TAG University, the Oral Care Center for Excellence and investments in technologies such as AI-powered imaging — that’s helping make sure that growth doesn’t outpace our abilities for clinicians and practices. Scale only becomes an advantage when you can consistently better experiences for patients and providers, and the infrastructure we have behind the scenes allows us to do that.
Q: What goals does Aspen Dental have for the rest of the year?
RM: Our core growth model at Aspen Dental continues to be organic, particularly de novo development. We will continue opening new practices in markets where we see real patient need and opportunity. But it’s also important not to define organic growth by just adding locations, as I mentioned. There’s also tremendous opportunity inside the network we have. We continue to improve how patients find us, how easily they can access care, and the capabilities and productivity of our existing practices. Underneath both are those continued investments in training, technology and infrastructure, and what I pointed out earlier at TAG University and the Oral Care Center for Excellence. So, when I think about organic growth, it’s in two dimensions: continuing to expand the footprint, and then continuing to make the existing footprint stronger.
Q: What are some challenges Aspen has had to overcome this year regarding the economy, patient demand, M&A trends, etc.?
RM: The macroeconomic environment has probably been the biggest factor, and obviously it’s not unique to us. It’s not unique to dentistry. Rising costs have put pressure on households and budgets, and dental care can unfortunately be one of those things that people defer when money gets tight. That puts an even greater responsibility on us to deliver value. Aspen Dental has always been positioned around making quality care more accessible and affordable. In an environment like this, that proposition becomes even more important. Commercially, this also means we have to be extremely focused on removing friction. How easy are we to find? How easy is it to schedule? Are we communicating clearly with patients? Are we helping patients understand these options? Those things matter when consumers are making difficult choices.
Q: How has Aspen Dental’s growth strategy evolved over the years to what it is today?
RM: The growth story is really de novo rather than an M&A, and building a practice from the ground up allows us to establish an operating model from day one. That means the same training, technology, systems and culture, including an on-site lab at every Aspen dental location. That consistency matters. Rather than inheriting different operating environments and having to retrofit them, we’re able to build around the Aspen Dental model from the very beginning. What has evolved is our ability to execute the model at scale. The training infrastructure, technology and systems we have today allows us to open new locations more consistently and have them ready to serve patients from day one. The important point is that Aspen Dental has a growth model that does not depend on acquisitions to grow.
Q: What trends are you following in dentistry right now?
RM: There are three that I’m watching particularly closely. Number one is that the expectations consumers develop in retail, travel, banking and almost any other part of their lives are also bleeding into healthcare, and they expect things to be easy, transparent and increasingly digital. That includes everything from finding a provider to booking an appointment and communicating afterward.
The second is AI. Adoption is accelerating across dentistry, and Aspen Dental has already seen what is possible when technology is deployed responsibly and at scale. But AI itself is not the strategy. The question is whether it improves clinical workflows and helps providers create a better patient experience.
The third one is access. There are still far too many people who are not getting high quality, affordable dental care. What is interesting is these trends in technology and better consumer experiences can help us remove friction and ultimately expand access so that consumers do not lower their expectations just because they enter healthcare.
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.
