The uncertain economy and a need for data are driving some of the top trends in the dental industry as we head into spring.
Four leaders with extensive DSO experience share some of the hot topics at this year's Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO) conference, which was held in San Diego in March 2025.
Leslie Soto, VP of operations at Five Point Dental Specialists
Leslie Soto.
"One trend among private equity-backed groups is centralizing practice management systems. You need to have data at your fingertips. We're consolidating from 17 different practice management systems to Denticon and Cloud 9 software. Whenever you introduce new technology, you need to ensure everyone understands why the change is important and how it will make their jobs easier, including the doctors.
"Technology is evolving quickly and that requires a different mindset. For example, instead of one playbook that's printed, you might have QR codes to scan that will take you to the most up-to-date user instructions.
"Another trend is expanding beyond general dentistry referrals to direct-to-consumer marketing to generate patient flow for specialists. More practices are advertising the benefits of dental implants and other solutions to drive consumer awareness and consultations."
Santosh Patel, president of Complete Specialty Solutions
Santosh Patel.
"Private equity firms are cautiously buying right now. PE investors are very methodical in dental. They're looking at which practices have strong operating systems, they're looking at turnover and churn, they're looking at doctor mentoring programs, and they're looking at the plan to retain doctors after an acquisition. It's important to understand how the financials will look, especially if a provider leaves and it takes 1.5 people to replace the lost revenue.
"Dental groups are also looking at ways to become less dependent on insurance reimbursement. They’re using data to review dental plans to determine which ones make the most sense to keep.
"They're also leveraging third-party financing and in-house membership plans and subscription models to help patients afford the care they need. People want to be able to pay in installments now, just like they can when they're purchasing on Amazon. Even shoe companies like Zappos make it easy to pay in monthly installments. It's a shift in consumer behavior that's carrying over into healthcare."
Dr. Ancy Verdier, partner at Bedi Dental Group
Ancy Verdier.
"I was at the ADSO meeting in March, and there were some interesting trends. The ratio of hygienists graduating compared to dentists graduating used to be a 1.5-to-1 ratio, but now it is a 1-to-1 ratio. There's a lot of talk about how to increase the number of hygienists in the workforce.
"I sit on the board of trustees at Tufts University, and there's a growing recognition that dental grads need to be good at business. I’m seeing more dentists getting a Master of Business Administration degree.
"Another emerging trend is the influx of executive leadership from outside industries. At Bedi Dental Group, we recently hired a chief operating officer from the pharmacy sector, a move that underscores the importance of financial analytics, insurance navigation, customer experience, and operational efficiency in modern dental organizations.
"On the clinical front, I'm particularly excited about advancements in tooth regeneration, with innovations like Curodont paving the way for the future of regenerative dentistry. These breakthroughs have the potential to redefine patient care and long-term oral health outcomes."
Josh Gwinn, CEO of Optimize Practice Alliance
"The biggest trend right now is navigating the new world of technology for AI (artificial intelligence) and automation. Bill.com, QuickBooks, Sage accounting software, and more companies are adding automation to accounts receivable workflows. Zentist and other companies have added AI to revenue cycle management workflows to automate repetitive tasks. The key for dental groups looking to scale is to implement technology early.
Josh Gwinn.
"Many companies are leveraging large language models, replacing prompt-based commands with natural language models. People aren't just using Google anymore. They're using ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI tools. AI receptionists are a hot trend, but so far, the public's response has been lukewarm to these.
"As we head into the second quarter, everyone's looking to see the impact of tariffs and how the markets will react. It may be summer before we have clarity."
More dental industry trends
From transforming the patient experience through digital innovation to the latest trends in staffing and salaries, more than 20 dental industry leaders share their insights in the Planet DDS Dental Industry Outlook 2025 report. Click here to download the report.
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.
