Here are 12 facts to know about the dental field and DSO consolidation in 2023:
1. Thirteen percent of all U.S. dentists are affiliated with a DSO.
2. Heartland Dental is the largest DSO in the U.S., with more than 1,650 practices in its network.
3. Nevada has the highest percentage of dentists affiliated with a DSO at 23 percent.
4. More than 75 percent of dentists practice at single-location offices.
5. Financial constraints, wanting a work-life balance and mentorship are all factors that could lead younger dentists to affiliate with DSOs, according to Barry Lyon, DDS, a chief dental officer for the division of orthodontics and pediatric dentistry at Sarasota, Fla.-based DSO Dental Care Alliance.
6. Dentists who have been out of dental school for more than 25 years are less likely to be affiliated with a DSO.
7. Wisconsin had the highest percentage of dentists affiliated with a DSO who have been out of dental school for more than 25 years at 17 percent.
8. Dentists who have been out of dental school for 10 years or fewer are more likely to be affiliated with a DSO.
9. In Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas, more than 30 percent of younger dentists are DSO-affiliated.
10. Orthodontists have the highest rate of DSO affiliation when compared to dentists in seven other dental specialties.
11. Several DSOs have launched initiatives to enhance patient care in 2023 with new services, financing assistance and technology investments.
12. California, Florida, Texas, Illinois and New Jersey were some of the states with the most DSO activity in 2022.