# How fast is DSO affiliation growing? The share of U.S. dentists affiliated with a DSO rose from 8.8% in 2017 to 16.1% in 2024, according to the ADA Health Policy Institute. Over a longer span, the share who own a private practice fell from 84.7% in 2005 to 72.5% in 2023. By DDSIntel Editorial. Source: DDSIntel, https://ddsintel.com/dso/dso-growth-2015-2024. Published 2026-10-26; data as of 2026-10-25. ## Key numbers - **8.8%** of dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2017 (ADA Health Policy Institute, via ADA News, 2017; https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2023/june/more-dentists-affiliating-with-dsos/) - **10.4%** of dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2019 (ADA Health Policy Institute, via ADA News, 2019; https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2023/june/more-dentists-affiliating-with-dsos/) - **13%** of dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2022 (ADA Health Policy Institute, via ADA News, 2022; https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2023/june/more-dentists-affiliating-with-dsos/) - **16.1%** of dentists were DSO-affiliated in 2024 (ADA Health Policy Institute, The U.S. Dentist Workforce, 2025 update, 2024; https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/US_dentist_workforce_2025.pdf) - **72.5%** of dentists owned a private practice in 2023 (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2023; https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dental-practice-research) ## How much has DSO affiliation grown since 2017? The ADA Health Policy Institute reported DSO affiliation among U.S. dentists at 8.8% in 2017, 10.4% in 2019 and 13% in 2022, then 16.1% in 2024. Affiliation rose at every reading, and the readings came from separate ADA releases, so compare the direction rather than small differences. See the [consolidation overview](https://ddsintel.com/dso). ## Is private practice ownership declining? Yes. The ADA Health Policy Institute found 72.5% of U.S. dentists were private practice owners in 2023, down from 84.7% in 2005. Dentists who do not own a practice work as associates or employees, including in DSO-affiliated and group settings, so falling ownership and rising affiliation are two views of the same shift. ## Is private equity affiliation growing as fast? Private equity affiliation is a narrower measure and grew faster in relative terms. A Health Affairs study found it roughly doubled from 6.6% of dentists in 2015 to 12.8% in 2021, and the ADA summary put general practice dentists at 6.8% in 2015 and 12.7% in 2021. Details are in [private equity in dentistry](https://ddsintel.com/dso/private-equity-in-dentistry). ## Does DSO growth mean dentistry is 35% consolidated? No. The 35% figure is an industry estimate whose measure was not disclosed, while 16.1% is the ADA Health Policy Institute’s share of dentists affiliated with a DSO in 2024. The two use different definitions and denominators, as [how many dental practices DSOs own](https://ddsintel.com/dso/why-dso-counts-differ) explains. The [data hub](https://ddsintel.com/data) holds the workforce figures behind these shares, and ownership changes are tracked as [corporate signals](https://ddsintel.com/signals/corporate-signals). For who is on the other side of these deals, see [what a DSO is](https://ddsintel.com/dso/what-is-a-dso). ## Frequently asked questions ### What percentage of dentists were in DSOs in 2024? 16.1% of U.S. dentists (ADA Health Policy Institute). ### How much did DSO affiliation grow from 2017 to 2024? From 8.8% to 16.1% of U.S. dentists, with 10.4% in 2019 and 13% in 2022 in between (ADA Health Policy Institute). ### Are younger dentists more likely to affiliate with DSOs? Yes. In 2022, 27% of dentists five or fewer years out of school were DSO-affiliated, and 18% of those six to ten years out. ### Why is there no 2015 DSO figure on this page? DDSIntel publishes only figures it has read at the publisher. The ADA series cited here starts in 2017; private equity data start in 2015. ## Sources 1. American Dental Association. More dentists affiliating with DSOs (ADA News, June 2023). https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2023/june/more-dentists-affiliating-with-dsos/ 2. ADA Health Policy Institute. Dental practice research (DSO affiliation and practice ownership). https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dental-practice-research 3. ADA Health Policy Institute. The U.S. Dentist Workforce, 2025 update. https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/US_dentist_workforce_2025.pdf 4. American Dental Association. Private equity affiliation among dentists increases (ADA News, August 2024). https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2024/august/private-equity-affiliation-among-dentists-increases/ 5. Health Affairs. Percentage of dentists and dental practices affiliated with private equity nearly doubled, 2015–21. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00574 --- DDSIntel is a dental transition intelligence platform that detects pre-market dental practice transition signals for brokers, DSOs, lenders and the firms that serve them.