Icon Dentistry in Orem, Utah is a Dentist-Owned Private Practice.

Icon Dentistry is committed to patients not profits.  Although profit is important, it should be the result and reward of honest, patient-focused care.  Do your own research in the r/Dentistry thread on Reddit and you will understand why we dislike DSO’s.  Some of our friends in the dental world have made the mistake of selling to a DSO, only to learn that the sales pitch was exactly that, a sales pitch.  They spent the next few years of their life trying to figure out how to get out or buy back what they sold.  Patients suffer, staff members suffer, and the Dentist suffers.  So, why are Dentists selling to DSO’s?  We can tell you why.  Running a dental office isn’t easy.  The normal overhead for a dental practice is 65%.  That means for every $1000 collected from a patient, only $350 goes to the dentist and that is before they pay the business loans on equipment or lingering student loan debt.  After 23 years of owning a dental office, we see the appeal of the sales pitch, but we aren’t fooled.  DSO’s offer to pay the selling dentist more than they can get on the private market all while enticing them with the freedoms of not having to manage employees, worry about the costs of supplies, or the stress of paying business loans all while making the same amount of money.  Sound to good to be true? It usually is.

When a dental office focuses on profits over patients, everyone loses.  Patients are over diagnosed, staff are under paid, and dentists are forced to use cheap labs and materials.  Everyone loses except the owners of the DSO.

Corporate Owned Dental Practices are Bad News for Dentists and Patients

The Bad News:

The rapid growth of Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) has changed the landscape of dentistry across the United States. While DSOs can provide administrative support, purchasing power, and expanded access to care, there are also concerns about the potential negative effects when large corporate organizations acquire independent dental practices.

1. Pressure to Increase Production

Many dentists and patients worry that corporate ownership can create pressure to meet produc

tion goals. When financial performance becomes a primary focus, there may be incentives to:

• Recommend more treatment than necessary.
• Favor higher-revenue procedures over conservative alternatives.
• Reduce the time spent with each patient.

This can undermine the trust-based relationship that traditionally exists between a dentist and patient.

2. Loss of Clinical Autonomy

Independent dentists generally have full control over treatment philosophies and patient care decisions. Under some DSO models, dentists may experience:

• Corporate influence on scheduling and treatment protocols.
• Productivity benchmarks that affect compensation.
• Limitations on selecting materials, laboratories, or technologies.

Even when clinical decisions remain legally under the dentist’s control, business pressures can influence practice patterns.

3. Reduced Continuity of Care

Many patients value seeing the same dentist for years. DSO-owned offices often experience higher dentist turnover, which can lead to:

• Less familiarity with a patient’s dental history.
• Inconsistent treatment philosophies.
• Reduced long-term relationships between patients and providers.

4. Impact on Local Communities

Independent dental practices are often deeply rooted in their communities. When practices are acquired by large organizations:

• Decisions may be made by executives located outside the community.
• Profits may leave the local economy.
• Community sponsorships and charitable involvement may decrease.

5. Focus on Growth Over Relationships

Private practice dentists frequently build their reputations through personal relationships and word-of-mouth referrals developed over decades. Large organizations may place greater emphasis on:

• Expansion and market share.
• Standardized systems.
• Operational efficiency.

Patients can sometimes perceive this as a more transactional healthcare experience.

6. Future Loss of Patient Choice

As more practices are acquired by large organizations, local markets may see:

• Fewer independently owned dental offices.
• Less diversity in treatment philosophies.
• Increased concentration of market power among a small number of organizations.

Over time, this may reduce patient choice and that is Bad News.