- MEDIUM
- Industry
- Tier 1
- Hard News
17% of US dentists are affiliated with a DSO: Breakdown by state
- Source
- Becker's Dental + DSO Review
- Author
- Cameron Cortigiano
- Originally at
- beckersdental.com(opens in a new tab)
Summary and scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol. Not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
DSO-affiliated dentists now comprise 17% of the U.S. workforce, with ownership and staffing models shifting fastest in high-DSO states such as Nevada (29%). Owners and DSO leaders can benchmark their state’s market share and anticipate competitive pressure on recruitment and payer negotiations.
Key points
- 01
American Dental Association data show 17% of U.S. dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2025, up nearly 10 percentage points since 2015.
- 02
DSO affiliation rose from 16.1% in 2024 to 17% in 2025.
- 03
Nevada leads all states with 29% DSO affiliation; Alaska, Hawaii, and North Dakota register the lowest at 4–5%.
- 04
State-level shares range from 4% (Alaska) to 29% (Nevada), with 11 states above 20%.
Who should care
- Owner
- DSO
Read the original
Becker's Dental + DSO Review
Full reporting and any paywalled content live on beckersdental.com. We summarize and score; we do not republish.