Want to scale your dental practice? DSO leaders share their top tips

Whether you're a private practice owner or the executive of a multilocation dental group, everyone is looking to scale to increase revenue, elevate patient care, and enhance employee satisfaction.

We asked six industry leaders at this year's Dykema DSO conference to share their tips for scaling dental practices.

Dr. Robin Reich, founder of Reich Dental Centers and past president of the Georgia Dental Association

Dr. Robin Reich.

"For someone looking to scale up, the No. 1 thing I would tell them is to get hold of your numbers and know your business inside and out. Know what every number means and look at it every month for any changes."

Jason Heffelfinger, CEO of Dental Care Alliance

"The most important thing to me is culture. When you are a small DSO, that is the perfect opportunity to build a company that you're proud of. It's a lot easier to do it right the first time. So really focus on culture, really pay attention to the types of practices you onboard, the partners you hire alongside of you to make sure you set the tone for the organization. The second tip is to build a great platform. Find those partners that you're going to grow alongside and really lean in with them."

Teresa Williams, chief financial officer and chief operating officer of Dental Express

Teresa Williams.

"For those of you who are looking to scale up, really take a hard look at what has made you successful. Have you documented those processes? Really codify your SOPs [standard operating procedures] so you can go replicate them."

Dr. A.J. Acierno, president of clinical operations at Smile Brands

"I would maximize the chair space you have in your office. Get to capacity before you add more offices, and make sure you're operating effectively and efficiently."

Dr. Bradley Dykstra, founder of MI Smiles Dental Group

"Be brave. Be ready for a lot of headaches. Don't rush into something just to add locations. Do your homework and make sure that your cash flow can support it, because you don't want it to drag down the whole organization."

Dr. Hamid Barkhordar, co-president of Care Dentistry Group

Dr. Hamid Barkhordar.

"The advice I have is keep going. There are a lot of obstacles. Focus on what you want your organization to be, what you want your organization to represent. Really focus on that and push through, and don't let anybody stop you."

You can hear more tips in the video below.

Beth Gaddis is the editor in chief at Planet DDS, a dental technology company specializing in cloud-based practice management systems, digital imaging, and dental marketing services. Previously, Gaddis was the marketing director for two large dental service organizations. Prior to entering the dental industry, Gaddis was a journalist for 16 years in a variety of roles, including as a TV news producer at the CBS affiliate in Boston. You can connect with Gaddis on LinkedIn.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.