DENTAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS – THE FUTURE OF DENTISTRY IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS?
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR SHIFTS HAPPENING IN THE DENTAL PRACTICES? Dental services in the US are traditionally provided in private dental practices operating as small business units. These practices generally consist of one or two dentists employing dental hygienists, dental assistants, and administrative support staff. While this continues to be the mode of delivery of dental services at present, organizational structures for oral health service delivery and for managing business functions are changing, resulting in a variety of options for patients seeking dental services from dental provider organizations. The most noticeable change in the dental practice paradigm is the consolidation of small private dental practices into large groups. Dental support organizations (DSOs) or Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) provide practice management services such as employment and human resources, billing, accounting, regulatory compliance, lease arrangements, purchasing services, and information in...