HPI: More new dentists affiliated with DSOs

New graduates increasingly gravitate toward dental support organizations, according to data from the ADA Health Policy Institute.

In 2024, more than 1 in 4 dentists up to 10 years out of dental school were affiliated with a DSO, which is much higher than the proportions seen in older groups of dentists.

HPI’s analysis included nearly 200,000 practicing dentists in the U.S. A practice was considered to be affiliated with a DSO if some outside entity managed some or all of its nonclinical functions, such as billing, marketing, human resources or more.

Source: American Dental Association. The U.S. Dentist Workforce. Health Policy Institute. September 2025. Available from: ADA.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce.