🦷 From word-of-mouth to word-of-machine

September 09, 2025

Good morning. Dentists don’t often show up in major roles on the silver screen, but the profession takes center stage in the new rom-com The Baltimorons, which features a brewing romance between a struggling comedian and the emergency dentist he turns to for care on Christmas eve.

It’s a good start, but we still think dentistry is ripe for The Pitt treatment.

Inside this issue:
- Why young dentists are deferring ownership
- The latest patient referral channel: AI chatbots

⏰ Your reading time today: 6 mins 41 seconds

🏆 Then enjoy your coffee break with Word of Mouth, a dental-themed word game inspired by Wordle.

MARKETS

📉 3D Systems Corp ($DDD) – 2.17 | -0.071 (3.18%)
📉 Align Technology ($ALGN) – 136.86 | -0.42 (0.31%)
📈 Colgate-Palmolive ($CL) – 84.19 | +0.015 (0.018%)
📉 Dentsply Sirona ($XRAY) – 14.21 | -0.41 (2.80%)
📉 Envista Holdings ($NVST) – 21.15 | -0.16 (0.75%)
📉 Henry Schein ($HSIC) – 67.74 | -1.69 (2.43%)
📈 Straumann Holding AG (STMN.SW) – CHF 95.30 | +0.36 (0.38%)
📈 Weave Communications ($WEAV) – 7.89 | +0.14 (1.81%)

Data is provided by Google Finance. Stock data reflects market close at 5:00 p.m. ET, showing changes over the past five days.

THE DRILL DOWN

🔍 Calls for a federal probe into Delta Dental of Wisconsin’s acquisition of Cherry Tree Dental are growing, as groups including the American Dental Association, the American Economic Liberties Project, and the Alliance of Independent Dentists raised concerns about potential antitrust violations.

🔬 The FDA has finalized guidance for dental bone grafting devices, aiming to reduce the usage of animal testing and strengthen standards for ethical practices in the industry.

🤖 AI can be used to effectively predict treatment durations, according to new research published in Nature, and could potentially unlock benefits like “possible cost savings from increased efficiency, fewer delays, and better resource usage.” 

🏛️ The ADA is advocating for the removal of stigmatizing questions from licensure applications that may deter dentists from seeking treatment for mental health and substance use disorders.

🤖 The ADA has launched a free AI-powered service to streamline the credentialing process for dentists and automatically verify dentists’ credentials, which it says will reduce administrative burdens and improve efficiency in dental practices.

💰 Most dental hygienists think they’re underpaid, with 60.4% in a recent survey saying they felt they were unfairly compensated and 87.1% saying they had little chance of promotion.

😨 Nearly 75% of American adults report fear of visiting the dentist, based on new research from the NYU College of Dentistry, with 26.8% reporting “severe fear.”

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TALENT TRENDS

Young dentists are deferring ownership—now what?

Early‑career dentists are choosing employment, often at DSOs, over hanging their own shingle, and the data says it’s not a blip. Ownership is still the endgame for most, but it’s happening later. Translation: The associate era is here. The question for DSO leaders is whether you’ll be a short layover … or the destination.

What’s happening: Practice ownership has trended down for two decades. According to the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI), just 72.5% of U.S. dentists were owners in 2023, a significant drop from 84.7% in 2005. The shift is especially sharp for newer grads. HPI data shows that among dentists 5–9 years out of school, only 21% of the 2016–2020 cohort owned a practice, compared to 63–70% for those who graduated in 2010 or earlier at the same career stage. By mid‑career, ownership rates converge.

  • The DSO pull is real: In 2024, the ADA HPI reported that 27% of dentists less than 10 years out of school were affiliated with a DSO, an increase from 24% in 2023.

  • Pipeline preferences are changing: An ADEA survey of recent dental school seniors found that nearly one‑third (32%) of those planning to enter private practice intended to join a DSO-affiliated practice, with the figure rising to 35% among historically underrepresented groups. 

Why it’s happening: Debt and start‑up math favor DSOs early. With six‑figure loans for new grads and practice start-up costs frequently topping half-a-million dollars, salaried roles with benefits, CE, and mentorship are proving more attractive for those in the early days of their career, even if long‑term economics still favor equity.

  • New dentists still aspire to own, but they’re taking the scenic route to build skills and pay down loans before buying in. That keeps the DSO talent funnel full until years 7–15, when ownership intent catches up with them.

Why it matters: Recruitment tailwinds turn into retention headwinds. You’ll have no shortage of eager associates, but the same cohorts are statistically more likely to pursue ownership later. Without a credible path to equity, you risk becoming the “finishing school” for future independents.

  • Brand and culture are differentiators, not window dressing. For a generation that prizes mentorship and work‑life balance, a strong clinical culture and structured development can beat pure comp for top talent.

  • Market power shifts. As DSOs absorb more early‑career clinicians, payer negotiations, vendor pricing, and tech adoption increasingly run through scaled platforms, making “associate value prop” a strategic revenue lever, not just an HR line item.

What to do now: Savvy DSOs are adjusting their practices to capitalize on this trend. Here are five ideas you can consider implementing to attract and retain the best young talent:

  • Build a real ownership ladder. Offer time‑boxed, criteria‑based tracks (e.g., 24–36 months) to minority equity or profit share in local groups. Publish the rubric, hit the timeline, and backstop with financing partners who ignore student loan balances when underwriting buy‑ins. You’ll convert “someday owners” into “your owners.”

  • Sweeten early‑career ROI. Pair above‑market CE budgets with paid mentorship time, not just cases; add targeted student‑loan repayment and relocation stipends; and protect new dentists from schedule volatility with minimum daily guarantees.

  • Design for flexibility. Offer predictable PT options (three‑ or four‑day clinical weeks), gradual transitions back to work post-leave, and cross‑office float pools to smooth chairtime without burning out early‑career clinicians.

  • Plan for “graduation risk.” Treat retention like an investment cycle: Assume a portion of associates will pursue ownership after 5–10 years. Create an internal marketplace of partnership slots, de‑novo spinouts, or structured alumni transitions that keep production inside your network instead of losing it across the street.

  • Diversity and gender dynamics matter. Women now comprise the majority of dental students, and HPI data reveals a 16-percentage-point gap in practice ownership between early-career male and female dentists. DSOs that solve for flexibility, parental leave, and predictable schedules gain an edge.

Bottom line: Young dentists are delaying ownership because the economics and lifestyle math make employment the smarter first move, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to own down the road. DSOs that turn the early‑career decade into a compelling on‑ramp to equity will win the war for talent and the long game for production. If you don’t build the ladder, don’t be surprised when your best associates climb someone else’s.

BUSINESS BITES

📈 Park Dental Partners plans to go public, filing a registration statement with the SEC. The Minnesota-based company has 85 practices and claims to employ more than 200 dentists.

🚀 Pac-Dent, the maker of Rodin dental 3D printing resins, acquired Ackuretta Technologies, aiming to enhance its 3D printing capabilities and create a more integrated ecosystem for clinicians and labs. 

💰 AI-powered revenue management platform Wisdom raises $21M, bringing its total funding to $28M since its launch to streamline dental practice revenue cycle management with advanced AI technology.

🖨️ Dental-focused 3D printing company SprintRay acquired EnvisionTEC’s line of dental products and intellectual property.

LAST ISSUE’S POLL RESULTS

MARKETING

AI and algorithms now a top patient referral channel 

People aren’t just using AI chatbots to do their homework for them, get relationship advice, and generate Studio Ghibli-style images of themselves. According to a new survey, a growing number are also asking ChatGPT to find them a dentist.

What's happening: According to fresh data from Rater8's 2025 Patient Choice Report, more patients are leaning on AI to choose their healthcare providers. AI tools now influence 26% of choices, essentially neck‑and‑neck with primary care provider referrals at 28% and review sites at 29%. Trust is catching up too: One‑third trust AI results as much as traditional search, nearly one in five trust AI more, and only 11% are outright skeptical. 

  • Patients still anchor on authenticity, though. In AI summaries, verified patient reviews are the most valued signal, beating credentials and convenience.

Why it matters: If your clinics don't show up in AI-driven recommendations, you effectively don't exist to a growing segment of patients. For these prospects, the “referral” starts when an AI builds a short list, often just a few names. That short list is assembled from structured facts, consistent listings, and the public proof of quality in your reviews. Data clarity, patient proof, and machine‑readable content win rather than scale alone.

How you can adapt: Just like SEO has become a must-have for successful DSOs, generative engine optimization (GEO) is quickly becoming a table stakes marketing practice to influence AI search results. 

To succeed, DSOs need a single source of truth that machines can ingest, verify, and cite. That means clean local data for every site and dentist, structured in a way AI systems can parse, backed by authentic reviews and clearly authored clinical content. Traditional SEO is still the base, but success in AI answers depends on whether an LLM can quickly understand who you are, what you offer, where you offer it, and why you are credible. 

What does that mean in practice? Here are ten steps you can take to get started:

  1. Build review velocity and recency. Reviews are a key signal for AI systems. Trigger review requests automatically post‑visit using both email and text based on patient preference. Ask for details that matter to future queries, including the procedure, the provider, and the location.

  2. Answer the internet like a human, in Q&A form. Write service pages and FAQs in natural language that map to common questions: “Do you offer same‑day crowns in Phoenix?” “What does Invisalign cost at our Plano office?” Short, scannable answers help generative systems cite you as the answer source.

  3. Give machines a single source of truth. Standardize every practice page with canonical name, address, phone, hours, insurances, services, languages, and booking links. Keep Google Business Profiles (GBPs), major directories, and your website aligned.

  4. Add structured data to your websites. Implement LocalBusiness and Dentist schema on every practice and provider page, with precise hours, geo, services, and identifiers. Use the most specific subtype and validate in Google Search Console.

  5. Tighten your local profiles across ecosystems. Clean up your Google Business, Apple Business, and Bing Places profiles (or set them up if you haven’t already) with accurate categories, contact info, and hours.

  6. Build strong provider‑level pages. AI often recommends clinicians by name. Create individual pages with bios, specialties, locations, procedures, and a subset of verified reviews.

  7. Demonstrate E-E-A-T. AI tools are notoriously prone to “hallucinations” (also known as: making stuff up), a problem their designers are attempting to overcome by prioritizing content that meets higher standards for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EEAT). Ensure your web pages meet this bar by including bylines with dentist credentials, affiliations, and publication dates.

  8. Make booking machine‑friendly. Use clear “Book Online” links, click‑to‑call, and, where supported, appointment schema.

  9. Operationalize content at scale. Create a quarterly content calendar and publish short explainers and local FAQs that match patient intent, then repurpose to short video and social posts. AI pulls from across social media, not just your homepage.

  10. Connect the dots for the Knowledge Graph. Use sameAs markup to link brand, locations, providers, and reputable profiles. Maintain consistent names, bios, and identifiers across your site, GBPs, and key directories.

Bottom line: AI is now an important referral source. Treat reviews as fuel, your web data as infrastructure, and your content as answers. Build the discipline, then scale it location by location. Patients are asking machines who to trust. Make it easy for the machines to say your name.

🗳️ The Check-up:

⬆ VOTE: Is AI a significant referral channel for you yet?

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CLINICAL NOTES

🦴 Theradaptive reported it has successfully treated the first patient with OsteoAdapt™ DE, a novel approach aimed at promoting bone growth in alveolar ridge augmentation. This treatment could advance regenerative care in dentistry.

🦷 Dental diseases, including caries and gingivitis, may disrupt children's sleeping patterns. Addressing these issues could help dental professionals improve pediatric patients' overall well-being.

🧔 A study indicates that men with severe erectile dysfunction may face a higher likelihood of advanced periodontitis, with a significant association highlighted in the Journal of Periodontology. This connection emphasizes the need for dental professionals to address oral health as part of a holistic approach to men's health. 

🪥 A toothbrush design featuring branched filament tips may outperform traditional bristle configurations in plaque removal while causing less gum damage, according to new research.

🍵 A new study suggests that tea tree oil might benefit high-risk caries patients by effectively inhibiting the growth of harmful oral bacteria, presenting a potential adjunct to traditional dental care methods.

FUN AND GAMES

BEYOND THE CUSP