DDSWhat percentage of dentists are affiliated with DSOs?
The ADA Health Policy Institute put DSO affiliation at 16.1% of U.S. dentists in 2024. That is a share of dentists, not of practices or locations, and it counts affiliation with a dental support organization specifically. Unlike broader consolidation estimates, it comes with a published method and a defined population of dentists.
Where does the 35% consolidation figure come from?
An advisory firm said dentistry is approximately 35% consolidated, and DentistryIQ noted the figure was published without identifying which measure it used. Consolidation can mean DSO affiliation, private equity ownership, group practice or multi-location ownership, and each produces a different number from the same market.
Why do consolidation estimates differ so much?
They measure different things. A three-dentist practice owned by its three dentists is a group practice, not a DSO. Private equity affiliation, a narrower measure, roughly doubled from 6.6% of dentists in 2015 to 12.8% in 2021 in a Health Affairs study. Counting dentists, practices or locations also changes the answer.
DDSIntel counts DSO-affiliated practice locations from state corporate filings and will publish its own estimate, by state and region, as part of its market data. Ownership changes are one of the dental transition signals it tracks.
The reconciliation is worked through in how many dental practices DSOs own, and the trend in how fast DSOs are growing.
What do the DSO pages on DDSIntel cover?
Seven pages follow the consolidation question from definition to deal. They explain what a DSO is, how fast affiliation is growing, how practices are counted, how practices are acquired, who buys them, how private equity works and what a management services agreement does. Each cites its publisher and states the period of every figure.
Start with what a DSO is and the legal structure behind affiliation. For the seller’s side, read who buys dental practices, how DSOs acquire practices and how private equity works in dentistry.
In this section
- What is a dental support organization (DSO)?
- How fast is DSO affiliation growing?
- How many dental practices are owned by DSOs?
- Who buys dental practices: a DSO or a private dentist?
- How does private equity work in dentistry?
- How do DSOs acquire dental practices?
- What is a management services agreement in dentistry?
- How much cash at close should I expect in a DSO offer?
- What do DSOs look for when buying a dental practice?
- Can you sell a dental practice with a high Medicaid payer mix?
- How do you compare DSO offers for your dental practice?
- How do associate dentists affect a DSO sale, and how do buyers keep them?
Frequently asked questions
Is dentistry 35% owned by DSOs?
Not by any disclosed measure. The best measured figure is 16.1% of dentists affiliated with a DSO in 2024 (ADA Health Policy Institute).
Is DSO affiliation the same as private equity ownership?
No. Many DSOs are backed by private equity, but affiliation and ownership are different measures; private equity affiliation was 12.8% of dentists in 2021 in a Health Affairs study.
Does consolidation affect when dentists sell?
It changes who the buyers are and what they pay attention to. Retirement timing is covered in the practice lifecycle.
Will DDSIntel publish its own consolidation estimate?
Yes, as a count of DSO-affiliated practice locations by state and region, with its method and corrections log.
Sources
- ADA Health Policy Institute. The U.S. Dentist Workforce, 2025 update. ada.org.
- DentistryIQ. Is dentistry really 35% consolidated? Let’s check the math (Brian Hanks, Aug. 8, 2026). dentistryiq.com.
- Health Affairs. Percentage of dentists and dental practices affiliated with private equity nearly doubled, 2015–21. healthaffairs.org.
Questions or corrections: request a correction. Markdown version: /dso.md.