Dental Practice
M&A Update: PE Deals Down 37%, But Not Dead
PE DSO deals dropped 37% in 2024, but consolidation is shifting, not stopping. Independent practices face lower valuations and longer integration timelines. Know your options.
Dental Practice
Associate Recruitment: Student Debt Just Got More Expensive
New dental grads owe $270K-300K in student loans. DSOs offer signing bonuses + debt assistance ($30-50K value). Independent practices offering no debt help can't compete for top talent.
Dental Practice
Infection Control: New OSHA Guidance Raises Compliance Costs
Infection Control: New OSHA Guidance Raises Compliance Costs OSHA updated infection control mandates in June 2025. New standards for sterilization validation...
Dental Practice
Implant Market: Growing, But Consolidating
The implant market is growing 6-8% annually, but 5 companies control 88% of market share. Consolidation means pricing power for manufacturers and margin pressure for practices.
Dental Practice
Group Practice vs Solo: The Pendulum Swung Again
Solo practices are outcompeting groups again. Associate supply is tight, overhead advantage evaporated, and DSO exit multiples collapsed. The group model's economic case no longer holds.
Dental Practice
Patient Acquisition Costs Are Climbing
Patient acquisition costs have climbed 35-40% since 2021. Most practices don't track the true CAC or leverage referrals, which remain the cheapest acquisition channel by 10x.
Dental Practice
Hygienist Scope Expansion: States Are Moving Faster Than You
Hygienist scope is expanding in 30+ states, and unsupervised dental therapists work independently in 5. Your practices is probably under-utilizing available scope and leaving $40K-$60K in annual revenue on the table.
Dental Practice
Practice Management Platforms: Consolidation Has Winners and Losers
Practice management software is consolidating to Dentrix and Eaglesoft. Smaller platforms are losing market share. Mid-market platforms will either raise prices or be abandoned.
Dental Practice
AI Caries Detection: Faster, But Not Smarter
AI caries detection shows 90% accuracy in studies but has high false positive rates in clinical practice. The software solves DSO problems (low-quality diagnostics) not independent practice problems.
Dental Practice
PPO vs FFS: The Math Still Favors FFS
Pure PPO dentistry reduces your profit margin by 40-50% compared to FFS, despite higher volume. Here's the financial breakdown and why the math still favors fee-for-service for independent practices.
Dental Practice
Teledentistry Rules: Still Unclear After a Year
Teledentistry regulations remain fragmented across states and insurers one year post-pandemic. Most practices don't know what's legal or reimbursed.
Dental Practice
Heartland Restructuring: The Reckoning Arrives
Heartland Dental's $4B+ restructuring proves PE's consolidation thesis failed: synergies don't exist, debt crushes returns, and DSOs can't scale profitably.