Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1326826
14 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW - VOL. 2021 NO. 1 EXECUTIVE BRIEFING Sponsored by: While some dental practices have been slow to rebound during the COVID-19 pandemic, DSOs like Heartland Dental are faring well. That is the perspective expressed by Patrick Bauer, President and CEO of Heartland Dental, the nation's largest DSO with over 1,100 supported offices and a community of 1,700-plus supported doctors across 38 states. Becker's Dental + DSO Review recently spoke with Mr. Bauer. He shared his thoughts on the current state of the dental industry, key industry trends, growth opportunities for the industry and what differentiates Heartland Dental. COVID-19 has affected the operations of dental practices but hasn't diminished demand The COVID-19 pandemic definitely disrupted the dental industry in the spring. Many practices temporarily closed, team members were furloughed, and even for practices that remained open for limited procedures, patient volumes fell dramatically as patients were extremely nervous about going to the dentist. At Hear tland Dental, the immediate priority, Mr. Bauer said, was, "How do we keep everybody safe?" Hear tland Dental moved swif tly to source enough personal protective equipment and help suppor ted doctors review their administrative procedures to continue team and patient safety. This has included greater use of online scheduling, adjusting how patients check in upon arrival and reviewing safety guidelines at all steps of the non-clinical and clinical process. For Heartland Dental supported practices, patients are returning confidently to their clinicians. Mr. Bauer described that when most supported offices reopened in June, "There was enough pent-up demand at supported offices that patient visits went up." While some solo practices may still be experiencing slightly lower than usual patient volume, for Heartland Dental supported offices, Mr. Bauer explained, "We're not seeing that [lower patient volume]." He remains confident in the fundamentals of the industry and observed, "The [dental] industry is super healthy. . . . Patients still need care. That won't go away." Key trends in the dental industry highlight multiple growth opportunities In addition to the strong underlying infection control fundamentals for the dental industry, several trends provide additional reasons for optimism. First, Mr. Bauer believes, "Teledentistry made an impact during the height of COVID, and will continue to provide a viable alternative for patients accessing dental care – especially for those who may have a fear of visiting the dentist, limited time to seek dental care, or are otherwise unable to visit the doctor." Both Heartland Dental supported offices and the industry as a whole started leveraging teledentistry this year, which was certainly accelerated during the pandemic. A second major trend is orthodontic treatment such as Invisalign. Mr. Bauer characterized this area as "a huge clinical opportunity that is appealing to our supported doctors." While the common perception may be that orthodontics is about how a person's teeth look, "It's more about function," said Mr. Bauer, who continued, "Our supported doctors strive to provide lifetime care to their patients, as good oral health directly affects one's overall health. The number of people who could benefit from orthodontics in this country is just massive." Welcoming new patients who are interested in Invisalign, is oftentimes the start of a long healthy relationship. A third trend is what Mr. Bauer terms "super GP models." This trend, which Heartland Dental embraces, is helping to equip their supported general practitioners with continuing education and resources to help them enhance their dental skills to perform basic endodontic procedures, basic oral surgery and other procedures that many dentists refer to specialists. He explained, "Our world-class educational opportunities allow Heartland supported doctors to develop the skills that enable them to treat their patients, instead of having to refer their patients to specialists. This model, and the availability of such a wide variety of dental education from which they can choose, has lasting benefits for both patients and dentists." Another trend is the ongoing evolution of dental insurance companies. Some players in the dental industry see this as a threat, as dental insurers in some states have cut payments to dentists by 10 percent. Yet because of Heartland Dental's large footprint, the company not only has more resources but also a dedicated payor relations team — supporting doctors and their relationships with insurance companies. Instead of taking an adversarial approach, Heartland Dental is asking, "How do we partner with you?" Per Mr. Bauer, Heartland Dental is focused on what employers want, what patients want and how providers fit in to that equation. "By understanding the external environment and the various Despite COVID-19, it's a good time to be a dentist — Insights from Heartland Dental