The Surge of Dental Graduates Opting for DSO Careers
Our team at Viper speaks with hundreds of practice-owning dentists and dental practitioners nationwide every year. These conversations give us a unique vantage point for trends in the dental industry.
One of these trends is the increase of newly graduated dentists joining DSOs to begin their careers. The development of the DSO model in the past decade has allowed the industry to grow in ways that provide excellent opportunities for new dental graduates. Our team at Viper is not surprised by this trend and will continue to monitor it, as it will likely lead to increased industry growth.
DSOs are an excellent option for new dental graduates.
In the past, a newly graduated dental student would search for a practice owner to hire them, but today, the DSO model offers another path. In a DSO-partnered practice, a new hire has several opportunities to practice dentistry and learn its business.
DSO-partnered practices hire new graduates and quickly put them to work seeing patients, allowing new grads to build up their practical knowledge and learn how to best serve patients with hands-on experience. DSOs also provide employee benefits that privately-owned practices may not, such as health insurance and a 401(k) plan.
Apart from seeing patients and practicing dentistry, dentists in DSO-partnered practices can access unique opportunities that privately owned practices usually do not offer.
Since DSOs have solid financial backing, many allow their dentists to choose which CE courses they would like to take, often encouraging their dentists to learn new areas of dentistry that they can bring into the practice. Additionally, for the more business-inclined dentist, DSOs offer the opportunity for their employees to step into more business-oriented roles, bringing their expertise in dentistry to help the company grow and thrive.
The DSO industry is poised for growth.
This trend is significant for several reasons.
For one, it points to the improvement and growth of the DSO industry. As dental schools update curricula with new techniques, technology, and information, new graduates bring this updated perspective to their employers.
Further, the DSO industry will continue to grow as the opportunity for a career track in a DSO attracts more new dentists.
Ultimately, what will result is a change in the traditional model of dentistry, with DSOs offering another option for practicing dentists.
As transition advisors, we must remain current on trends to continue providing the best service to our doctor clients. If you are a practice-owning dentist and want to learn more or receive a free evaluation of your practice, contact us today.