Becker's Dental + DSO Review

13 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW - VOL. 4 OCTOBER 2020 DENTAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS by Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark in September 2016. It now comprises more than 300 affiliated practices, 500 dentists and 450 hygienists. Great Expres- sions was the first recipient of the Summit Compliance Award from Mesa Labs for its commitment to infection control. Heartland Dental (Effingham, Ill.). Found- ed in 1997 by Rick Workman, DMD, this DSO is among the largest dental service organizations in the country with more than 1,050 affiliated practices. It is affiliat- ed with 1,700 dentists across 38 states. In 2020, Heartland Dental expanded its reach into the state of Idaho and has also recent- ly opened support hubs in Indianapolis and St. Louis to enhance its non-clinical administrative services. Hero Practice Services (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Hero Practice Services was founded in 2006 to support dental, ortho- dontic and vision providers for children ages 6 months through 20 years. In 2008, the DSO expanded to include orthodontic services at various practices, and in 2015 it was acquired by private equity firm Silver Oak Services Partners. MB2 Dental (Carrollton, Texas). MB2 Den- tal is founded and led by CEO Chris Ste- ven Villanueva, DMD. Since 2007, MB2 has partnered with hundreds of dentists across 17 states. In 2020 alone, the dental part- nership organization has added 33 new practices. Mid-Atlantic Dental Partners (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.). Founded in 2016, this DSO comprises more than 230 dental practic- es in 18 states. It acquired Denver-based Birner Dental Management Services for nearly $40 million in January 2019. Per the acquisition, Birner Dental was rebranded as Rocky Mountain Dental Services, and Mid-Atlantic Dental Partners also acquired Perfect Teeth, a group of dental offices branded under Birner. Midwest Dental (Mondovi, Wis.). This DSO consists of more than 200 affiliated practices across 17 states. Led by CEO Steve Spellman and Chief Dental Officer Elizabeth Rydell, DDS, it is an active partic- ipant in Give Kids a Smile, a charity event sponsored by the American Dental Asso- ciation Foundation that provides patients free care. Mortenson Dental Partners (Louisville, Ky.). Beginning as a single practice in 1979, Mortenson Dental Partners has grown to be one of the largest groups of employ- ee-owned dental practices in the U.S. With over 140 offices across nine states, the DSO employs nearly 1,800 team members and offers services ranging from gener- al and pediatric dentistry to orthodontics and oral surgery. North American Dental Group (Pitts- burgh).This DSO was founded in 2008 by CEO Ken Cooper and CMO Andrew Mat- ta, DMD. North American Dental Group comprises more than 230 dental offices in 15 states. When its affiliated offices had to shut their doors during the pandemic's early months, the DSO converted the sites into COVID-19 testing centers. Onsite Dental (Aliso Viejo, Calif.). Onsite Dental operates with three different deliv- ery models and more than 230,000 staff members. Its fixed practices follow a tradi- tional dental office model, while its pop-up model brings dental care to existing medi- cal clinics. The organization also has a mo- bile dental practice that travels to various locations nationwide. OrthoDent (Bee Cave, Texas). In 2012, two dentists founded OrthoDent to bring dental care access to underserved com- munities. Today, while supporting prac- tices across Texas, the organization offers affiliated practices billing, information technology, human resources and finan- cial services. Additionally, OrthoDent has a detailed acquisition and transition process for dentists and orthodontists looking to become affiliated with the DSO. Pacific Dental Services (Irvine, Calif.). This DSO was founded in 1994 with its first supported dental practice in Costa Mesa, Calif. By 1997, Pacific Dental Services had a network of nearly 20 supported practic- es. Today, Pacific Dental Services currently provides business support services to over 800 dental practices throughout 22 states. PDS has earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. 14 times. Rock Dental Brands (Little Rock, Ark.). Rock Dental Brands was founded in 2016 and currently provides practice manage- ment services to four affiliated dental groups. Rock Dental Brands manages nearly 600 employees at more than 75 practices throughout Arkansas and Mis- souri. Signature Dental Partners (Phoenix). This DSO was established in 2017 by Chet Jenkins, DDS, who sought to increase business and purchasing power, reinvig- orate dental staff and reduce overhead. Signature Dental Partners is affiliated with dental practices across Arizona, Colora- do, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. In addition to providing dentists with the necessary administrative tools to successfully run their practices, the DSO helps them recruit new employees. Its online careers portal allows dentists to post jobs that they need filled within their specific practice. Smile Brands (Irvine, Calif.). This DSO, originally named Bright Now Dental, was founded in 1998 by a management team that included its current CEO Steve Bilt and CFO Brad Schmidt. It was renamed to Smile Brands in 2009 after the acquisi- tions of Monarch Dental Corp. and Castle Dental Centers. Smile Brands currently supports around 425 practices and about 5,000 team members. The DSO was hon- ored as one of the 2019 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Glassdoor. Southern Dental Alliance (Kennesaw, Ga.). Southern Dental Alliance supports more than 30 practices and operates un- der five brands: Carolina Dental Alliance, Children's Dental Center, South Carolina Orthodontics Group, Vital Smiles Georgia and Zoo Crew Pediatric Dentistry. The DSO provides information technology support, Spanish translation and facility support. In 2017, New York-based private equity investment firm Pouschine Cook Capital purchased the DSO. United Dental Partners (Chicago). In 2014, pediatric dentist Scott Goldman, DDS, and orthodontist Louis Whitesman, DDS, merged their four combined prac- tices to form WhiteGold Dental Partners. The DSO was later renamed United Dental Partners and has grown to more than 25 de novo and affiliated practices across Illi- nois and Indiana. Western Dental (Orange, Calif.). With al- most 320 locations, Western Dental is Cal- ifornia's largest oral healthcare provider. The DSO operates in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Alabama and supports over 900 licensed dental providers. In Jan- uary 2020, Western Dental released its own orthodontic aligner, ClearArc. n

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