Episode #46: What You Need to Know About the DSO Dental Model

Ask the Dentist with Dr. Mark Burhenne

The COVID-19 pandemic was particularly hard on small businesses, including private dental practices. Many of these practices have turned to Dental Support Organizations (DSOs) to keep them afloat. Join us today as we dive into the politics of dentistry and DSOs with Dr. B! We hear the pros and cons of being part of a DSO as a dental practitioner, and how the type of practice you choose can affect your outcomes as a patient. Find out why Dr. B was fired from his very first job, and the experiences he has had that have made him wary of DSOs. Get some practical advice on how to ensure you are getting the best treatment available, regardless of whether you’re at a DSO or not, and why it’s so beneficial to be treated by a functional dentist. Dr. B also shares some great links on how the workforce is changing as millennials enter it. For all this, and more on the future of dentistry and DSOs, press play now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• The topic that Dr. B feels that we have not discussed enough [0:00:17]
• Dental Support Organizations (DSO): why they have sprung up after the COVID-19 pandemic, and why Dr. B chose not to join one [0:01:19]
• The benefits of a DSO: reducing the overhead of a dental practice [0:02:33]
• What a DSO is, and the many different roles running a dental practice requires [0:04:19]
• Why Dr. B gets nervous when there’s an association of support organizations [0:06:16]
• The reason for today’s episode: educating patients about what could happen when you choose a dentist involved with a DSO [0:07:31]
• Dr. B’s first experience with a DSO [0:08:29]
• The advantages of DSOs: dentists can focus on patients, and they get access to the latest technology [0:15:12]
• Why young dentists with student debts are drawn to DSOs [0:17:14]
• The situations that drive dentists to join a DSO [0:18:03]
• The disadvantages of DSOs: a lack of independence, the focus turns to profit and not patients, and the Dentist-patient relationship suffers [0:18:58]
• Who the largest DSOs in the USA are [0:22:24]
• Dr. B’s other experience of DSOs as an expert witness: unnecessary treatments and no patient education [0:23:09]
• What if you were to see a functional dentist? [0:28:17]
• The future of DSOs [0:33:00]

How to Submit Your Question:

Record your question for Dr. B at speakpipe.com/askthedentist

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Association of Dental Support Organizations

The Cons and Pros of DSOs by Dr. Gordon J. Christensen

Heartland Dental

Aspen Dental

Pacific Dental Services

Great Expressions

Affordable Dentures & Implants

Western Dental & Orthodontics

Ask the Dentist: Assorted Articles About Margarita Plans

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