DSO leaders share trends and challenges that have shaped 2025, Part 1

In the first of this two-part series, DSO leaders from Smile Brands, Oakpoint, Sound Dental Partners, and Progressive Dental Management share the trends that shaped their decisions.

 

 

Smile Brands supports general dentistry and specialty dental groups in more than 600 affiliated practices in 29 states.

 

"The first half of 2025 showed some long-awaited normalization in the labor markets. There appears to be a tenuous equilibrium slowly returning amid unprecedented levels of policy and global volatility. The consumer has shown a similar pattern of concern, although they have generally been accepting of the need to continue with dental treatment rather than risk deferring essential services.  

 

"At the same time, the technology boom in the sector has continued. Dental historically has been a second mover on the adoption curve, and it feels like there is a decade of tech opportunities presenting all at once. As I’m fond of saying, 'It could be good and could be bad.'

 

"The operators' dilemma is how much can our organization uptake without creating confusion that takes away from day-to-day execution versus enhancing it?"

 

 

Oakpoint supports 42 affiliated practices across North and South Carolina.

 

"The first half of 2025 has been defined by resilience and adaptation. On the positive side, we've seen solid same-store growth across our network, with many practices reporting consistent patient volume despite broader economic uncertainty. We continue to focus on facility and systems optimization with our companywide rollout to Square, which has improved our performance metrics.

 

"However, staffing shortages and rising overhead costs remain our biggest hurdles, as do those of many of our DSO counterparts. It requires us to be creative with retention strategies and practice management support. We've responded by enhancing our shared services model, helping practices achieve better economies of scale while maintaining their clinical autonomy."

 

 

Sound Dental Partners supports 10 affiliated practices in North Carolina.

 

"We've noticed the economic uncertainty since the start of the year has led many patients to focus more on dental services covered by their PPOs [preferred provider organizations] and dental benefit plans and less on fee-for-service treatment. We renegotiated our insurance plan rates, focusing on our relationships with preferred benefit providers and reducing the number of contracted plans with lower fees."

 

 

Progressive Dental Management supports 15 affiliated practices in New England.

 

"In the first half of 2025, we saw encouraging gains in case acceptance driven by bold, experimental shifts in culture and communication. We introduced daily microhuddles, simplified case presentation scripts, and focused on training that aligned team members across all roles. 

 

"We also empowered our doctors and managers with real-time feedback tools, which built trust and improved confidence during patient consultations. The result was a noticeable boost in team morale and patient treatment acceptance rates.

 

"On the other hand, rising operational costs have continued to pressure margins. The challenge has been maintaining growth while tightening systems, and we’ve responded by focusing intensely on efficiency without compromising the patient, partner, or employee experience."

 

 

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