The best way for dentists to decide if and when to join a DSO or MSO could be as simple as talking about it with other people in the industry, according to Andrew Horowitz, DMD, MD.
Dr. Horowitz is a partner at New York Oral, Maxillofacial and Implant Surgery, which has locations in Scarsdale and Mt. Kisco, N.Y. The practice recently became the first New York office to join Max Surgical Specialty Management.
Max Surgical Specialty Management is an oral surgery-focused management services organization that launched in September and supports 20 offices and 27 surgeons.
Dr. Horowitz recently spoke with Becker's to discuss why he joined MSSM and his advice for other dentists looking to possibly join a DSO or MSO.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What made you interested in joining Max Surgical Specialty Management?
Dr. Andrew Horowitz: We were looking at the trends in dentistry, medicine and oral surgery in particular, and obviously consolidation is a big trend at this point [when] looking at different ways for growth. It just seemed like the right time and the right group of people with the right mindset to be able to join a consortium of oral surgery specialists with the same goal in mind.
When the concept first came around [in the industry,] I was a little, I don't wanna say skeptical, but maybe not so enthusiastic about it. The typical concept of just being in a private practice with me and my partner and running all the day-to-day operations ourselves was the model. As time has progressed and we've seen the success of these other MSOs, it became more [obvious] that that was the right move. The biggest thing for me and my partner was the fact that we're joining a group of all oral surgeons as opposed to a multi-specialty MSO. It's more evident that we'll be able to do what we do as a group because we all come from the same mindset and same background.
It's been a short time so far, but the additional resources we now have in terms of everything from staffing to marketing, to everything that comes along with the operational side of things is definitely a huge asset in terms of growing the practice.
Q: What trends are you paying attention to right now?
AH: This is the hot topic and the million dollar question: When is it time to sell or join an MSO? Should I join an MSO? And then finding the right mix. Do you want to join one that's in its infancy? Do you want to join one that's been in the works for many years? They all come with their pros and cons.
Q: What tips do you have for other dentists who are not sure if they should join an MSO?
AH: I think it's talking to many different people with different perspectives, anyone from a dentist to your friend who's in private equity, to an implant representative, to a program director at an oral surgery program. You're not going to get the answer right away. You need to get the background before you can make the decision. I spoke to an oral surgeon recently and this is his first foray into should he sell or should he not sell or join a group? And he didn't even understand the language. He didn't even understand the concepts, how things are evaluated and the benefits. You just have to talk to people.