HIGHBusinessTier 1
What 5 of the largest DSOs have been up to
SourceBecker's Dental + DSO ReviewTier 1Hard News
By Cameron Cortigiano
Originally at beckersdental.com
Summary & scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol (Drill-Down Score) — not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
Five major DSOs completed multiple practice acquisitions, launched new clinical initiatives, and raised fresh capital in the past quarter.
Key points
- Heartland, Aspen, PDS and two unnamed peers collectively closed multiple tuck-in acquisitions and secured new funding rounds in Q3-Q4 2023, signaling continued DSO expansion.
- Independent practices now face larger, better-capitalized competitors that can offer sign-on bonuses, CE allowances and in-house specialists, increasing dentist recruitment pressure.
- DSOs are rolling out centralized revenue-cycle and payer-contracting teams, which may affect local fee schedules and in-network participation for nearby practices.
- Dentists evaluating an exit or partnership should expect more sophisticated DSO due-diligence, including EBITDA multiples tied to de novo vs. tuck-in growth metrics.
Who should care
DSOOwner
Read the original on Becker's Dental + DSO Review
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