DSO leaders dish on their must-have technologies for 2025

Businesses are budgeting for 2025, and practice owners and dental service organization (DSO) executives are making their strategic decisions about where to invest in their technology, processes, and people.

We asked several dental industry leaders to share their priorities and the pain points they hope to solve.

Andrew Jones, chief operating officer of Imagen Dental Partners

Andrew Jones.

"Currently, we have eight different practice management systems [PMS], and it's a burden on our team to pull data. In 2025, we're consolidating into one PMS, Denticon, so we can standardize and scale. We want to have a cloud-based system so we have visibility and access to data and to help our teams so they can save time.

"This will help us streamline our interactions with insurance companies and with patients. We're looking at ways to increase efficiency while maintaining the culture of each practice. The more we can standardize on the backend, the more it allows our practices to be unique in the patient-facing experience."

Dr. Anushka Gaglani, co-CEO of Areo Dental

"Operationally, we're looking for an automated solution that can do insurance breakdowns and write them back into our PMS. We already have automated online appointment scheduling, appointment reminders, and a process for rolling over calls that aren't answered in the practice to a call center.

"We've added Patient Prism and are now doing a lot of call coaching and training based on the insights from the artificial intelligence [AI] evaluating the calls. Clinically, we're heavily focused on Invisalign, in-office teeth whitening, and training doctors on implant dentistry."

Leslie Soto, vice president of operations of Five Point Dental Specialists

Leslie Soto.

"The biggest initiative is we're changing practice management systems. We're moving from having 17 different practice management systems to having Cloud 9 and Denticon next year. We're focused on streamlining office workflows. By consolidating everything into one platform, managers and staff will be able to access all the information they need in one place, creating greater efficiencies across teams.

"Right now, it's a very manual process to pull data. It's slow to access the information via the VPN [virtual private network], and it takes our team members away from their other duties to pull information and assemble reports. It's also going to create a better patient experience. There's one patient record, so even if a patient visits multiple practices in our network, it will be seamless. People want a modern experience: online appointment scheduling, digital forms, two-way texting, text-to-pay reminders."

Kumar Barot, CEO of Altius Dental

"We're looking at moving to a cloud-based PMS. Right now, it can take 10 minutes just to log in. If it's cloud-based, the chief dental officer can look at x-rays and treatment planning and give feedback in real time when needed. Different departments -- revenue cycle management, accounting, the call center -- will all be able to access data at the same time, and we would be able to automate more processes.

"For example, I'm looking for a solution for patients to self-check-in. I don't want anyone to have to wait. We're also looking at a cloud-based digital imaging system for 2025. The staff wants everything to be digital and seamless."

Bill Bembry, director of operations for the Midwest region of MB2

"People want everything to be paperless, everything to be easy. Nobody wants to go to the front desk or stand in line. They prefer to have everything done in the room, from scheduling the next appointment to collecting payment, so they can leave as soon as possible.

Bill Bembry.

"A lot of my practices use CEREC machines combined with 3D imaging, such as iTero and Primescan. Being able to process 3D images and fabricate same-day crowns is a huge advantage. We also use NOMAD handheld scanners, especially for pediatric patients.

"Our tech stack includes RecallMax for recare scheduling, InsideDesk for claim management, and Pearly for patient communications related to billing and collections. My doctors who use AI for x-ray analysis say it's extraordinarily beneficial in helping patients understand what treatment they need. It's much better than just viewing x-rays."

Dr. Saam Zarrabi, CEO of Rodeo Dental

"A big project for 2025 is we're doing a full implementation with Overjet [AI analysis for x-rays], including seeing how it helps reduce wait times for preauthorizations and claim approvals. It also helps with the virtual consult process with specialists and with identifying patients who may have unmet treatment needs.

"We're looking at other ways that AI can help improve workflows and efficiencies. A doctor recently showed me PLAUD AI, which is a voice-to-text notetaker.

"We want to make sure we're tracking patient engagement and employee engagement. Ritz Carlton and other world-class service providers do this very well. I still see gaps in dentistry's ability to measure the ROI [return on investment] on patient marketing and all the steps of the patient journey."

Dr. Chris Salierno, chief dental officer of Tend

Dr. Chris Salierno.

"We're currently testing AI-assisted radiograph review. I think 2D- and 3D-image analysis technology is the future, and it won't be long before it's a must-have for a modern practice. I'm especially interested in the AI developers who are integrating with the PMS more deeply, providing features like prepping claims for payers and chart audits for clinical quality.

"Tend is also piloting 3D printing. Resin materials have evolved quickly over the past few years and we feel the doors are opening for same-day ceramic restorations.

"I'm very interested to see how AI and LLMs [large learning models] will impact the RCM process. The payer and patient journeys have been ripe for disruption for some time, and I strongly believe AI will be the next major evolutionary tech in this space."

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.