Pac-Dent recently announced the launch of Rodin™ Bond dental adhesive system, an expansion of the Rodin™ product line. Building on the success of Rodin™ Resins, this new bonding solution is compatible with both direct and indirect restorations, and is optimized for use with 3D printed indirect cases.

A versatile light-cured dental adhesive, Rodin Bond incorporates state-of-the-art glass filler technology, to reportedly set a new standard for bond strength and performance that surpasses conventional unfilled adhesive systems.

By deeply permeating dentin tubules and reinforcing the hybrid zone, Rodin Bond provides a high bond strength. Its versatility extends to a wide range of dental materials, including dentin, enamel, composites, zirconia, and various dental metals commonly used in porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and bridges.

The new bonding system is designed to work in conjunction with Pac-Dent’s Rodin™ Sensiguard. This 2-in-1 desensitizer and primer is said to promote robust bonding while sealing dentin tubules to prevent sensitivity, and reducing the risk of caries formation beneath the restoration. The integration of Rodin Sensiguard with Rodin Bond increases the shear bond strength and adhesion on both direct and indirect surfaces. This can ultimately extend the lifespan of dental restorations.

Both Rodin Bond and Rodin Sensiguard are designed with efficiency in mind. Their bottles feature an innovative flip-top cap design that enables clinicians to precisely dispense "one-drop" of adhesive with a single hand, reducing waste and streamlining the clinical workflow. Furthermore, Pac-Dent's unit-dose packaging helps preserve the integrity of the adhesive material by shielding it from air and moisture, ensuring consistent and reliable bonding results.

Designed to work in conjunction with Rodin Sensiguard to provide dental professionals with a comprehensive bonding solution, Rodin Bond is a versatile system with efficient workflows.

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This new adhesive system is optimized for use with 3D printed indirect dental restorations.

Pac-Dent Introduces Rodin Bond Dental Adhesive

Overjet and Sunbit Forge Partnership to Elevate Dental Treatment and Payment Experience: Image Credits: © Overjet and Sunbit 

Sunbit, a pioneering financial technology company specializing in everyday expenses, and Overjet, the frontrunner in dental artificial intelligence (AI) for x-ray analysis and clinical insights, have unveiled a transformative partnership aimed at revolutionizing dental practices and patient experiences. This collaborative venture combines Overjet's cutting-edge AI-powered diagnostic insights with Sunbit's industry-leading pay-over-time technology, facilitating superior treatment accessibility and financial flexibility for patients.

Overjet's AI-driven solutions are designed to empower dentists with enhanced diagnostic capabilities, enabling them to pinpoint treatment needs more accurately while facilitating patient understanding. Simultaneously, Sunbit's technology ensures that these essential treatments become more accessible to a wider patient demographic, boasting over 85% approval rates, optimal payment terms, a seamless approval process, and zero fees.

Robert Nunziato, Head of Strategic Alliances at Sunbit, remarks in a press release: "Patients experience better outcomes by being able to get the treatments they need, and patients often accept treatment plans faster and more consistently when fair and accessible financing is available. It is no coincidence that our 2 technology-forward companies offer better outcomes to more practices and patients together."

Sunbit's financial technology, currently integrated into over 9,000 dental practices and reportedly steadily adding more than 500 practices monthly, has garnered momentum due to its exceptional performance across practices of all sizes. This technology adds significant value to practices while providing patients with trustworthy and transparent pay-over-time financing alternatives, all without the cumbersome application processes or uncomfortable declines.

Overjet's FDA-cleared AI technology performs comprehensive analyses of x-rays, detecting decay, quantifying bone levels, and identifying disease indicators. With color-enhanced imaging and precise measurements, this technology bridges the gap between dentists' observations and patient comprehension, enabling informed decisions about dental care. However, the cost of dental care often poses a significant challenge.

"We were looking for a partner with an established footprint, an impressive growth trajectory, and advanced financing technology because these factors help the most patients better afford the treatments surfaced through our x-ray analysis. Sunbit was the obvious choice. Dental practices and DSOs [Dental Service Organizations] using Sunbit technology have already seen up to a 150% increase in patient approval rates," says Wardah Inam, CEO and founder of Overjet, in the press release while emphasizing the criteria for selecting a partner.

In the coming days, Overjet and Sunbit will collaborate to educate dental offices about the myriad advantages of integrating game-changing technology into their operations, enhancing patient care and experience throughout the treatment journey.

To delve deeper into how dental practices are leveraging Overjet's dental AI platform to lead the charge towards precision, efficiency, and patient-centric dental care, visit 

To gain insights into how dental offices are employing Sunbit technology to expand patient access to care and enhance case acceptance, visit 

Overjet was founded by experts from MIT and Harvard School of Dentistry, and the company pioneers accurate and quantified methods for detecting pathologies, seamlessly integrating actionable insights into dental workflows. Each day, private practices, dental groups, and insurance companies rely on newer technologies such as Overjet's precision-driven information to elevate patient care and service standards.

Collaboration designed to help provide optimal care as well more financial flexibility for patients.

Overjet and Sunbit Forge Partnership to Elevate Dental Treatment and Payment Experience

Forward Science Elevates BioStōm Formulation to New Heights | Image Credit: © Forward Science

Forward Science, a pioneering MedTech enterprise with a vertical integration approach, emerged in 2012 with a vision to revolutionize lives through innovative and cost-effective solutions. In 2021, the company introduced BioStōm—an oral hydrogel wound dressing that stands apart as a non-opioid, all-natural oral pain relief gel—and now the company has announced an enhancement to make the product even better. BioStōm's inception was fueled by the mission to address a pressing concern in the dental industry – opioid addiction.

With a commitment to advancing scientific boundaries, Forward Science remains dedicated to continually improving its product lineup. This commitment includes seeking input from industry collaborators to ensure that its offerings meet the highest standards, the company states in a press release. After extensive research and collaboration with primary industry partners, PuraGraft and MPS, Forward Science's Research and Development team has successfully enhanced the formulation of BioStōm. This enhancement primarily focuses on bolstering bioadherence and optimizing viscosity.

Scott Ryan, General Manager of PuraGraft and MPS, a subsidiary of Young Innovations, expresses his satisfaction with the collaboration. "The Forward Science R&D team incorporated our feedback from customers and were able to enhance a product that was already proven to work. Not only did they improve the product, but they also did so in a timely manner, which is a tribute to the dedication they must support their customers and patients," Ryan states in the press release.

Robert J. Whitman, CEO of Forward Science, underlines the company's dedication to delivering superior products swiftly by adding: "At Forward Science, our team prides themselves on moving quickly to deliver the highest quality products to our partners. We are proud to exceed the standards of our partners to ensure clinicians and patients have access to the best products available."

Forward Science eagerly anticipates the continued collaboration with Young Innovations as they jointly advance scientific frontiers, according to the press release. Young Innovations, founded around 1900, was a pioneer of US manufactured dental products. In modern history, the Algonquin, Illinois, company was built through the 1990’s and early 2000’s through a series of mergers and acquisitions in a variety of dental segments

The Young Innovations’ portfolio of leading dental brands includes Young, Denticator, Athena Champion, Obutra Spartan Endodontics, Microbrush, Plak Smacker, Biotrol, Defend, PREAT, Germiphene, Astek Innovations, Natures Tip, PuraGraft, American Eagle Instruments, and more.

To learn more about BioStōm and Forward Science, visit 

Established in 2012 by 2 biomedical engineers, Forward Science is committed to innovating technology to enhance lives. The company's flagship product, OralID, is an award-winning oral cancer screening device that empowers clinicians to visualize abnormalities not discernible through traditional examinations. Building on the success of OralID, the company continues to drive progress in the oral healthcare industry by introducing advanced products designed to help patients achieve optimal oral health: SalivaMAX, BioStōm, TheraStōm, and OxiStōm. With complete vertical integration, Forward Science designs, develops, manufactures, commercializes, and supports its products in-house, ensuring the highest quality standards and exceptional service.

Company’s oral hydrogel wound dressing was introduced as an alternative to opioids; now boasts an enhanced formulation. 

Forward Science Elevates BioStōm Formulation to New Heights

The Future of Organized Dentistry -The Role of Dental Associations in a Group and Supported Practice World: © Andrii Yalanskyi - stock.adobe.com


We spoke to association leaders and support organizations about how they view their role in backing dental practices today and how they see that changing in the future. Here’s what they had to say.

The Roles Associations Each Play in Supporting Dental Practices

The American Dental Association (ADA) is the largest dental association, with 159,000 members. George Shepley, DDS, president of the ADA, says that since its founding in 1859, the ADA has been working to advance the profession of dentistry. Dr Shepley explains that the ADA is a tripartite, which includes memberships nationally and in a clinician’s state and local dental association.

“Collectively, as 1 ADA representing the united voice of the profession, we work together to help dentists succeed and advance the public’s health. From cutting-edge clinical guidelines to provide the best chairside care to important dental standards and infection control protocols to insurance claims and coding support and actionable advocacy on the state and federal level, the tripartite thrives together as a strong support system for the profession,” Dr Shepley says. “There’s great strength in unity, and organized dentistry provides that forum to create and implement change, whether it be the passage of a federal bill, releasing clinical guidelines for the steadfast treatment of caries, or spurring a nationwide drive to provide dental care to the underserved—that’s the power of coming together as 1 ADA.”

Dr Shepley says group practices and dental support organizations (DSOs) began forming approximately 30 years ago and have grown significantly since. DSOs support dental practices by providing nonclinical support around business functions, including human resources, information technology, accounting, marketing, and other services. “Each business model is different, and each group offers different resources and support to the dentists affiliated with their group,” he says.

Dental associations, large groups, and DSOs support practices in many ways. However, their organizational structures dictate how they provide this backing. Gary J. Pickard, senior director of government and industry affairs at Pacific Dental Services (PDS), says dental associations have provided dentists and other oral health care professionals with opportunities to develop professionally in the traditional manner through continuing education (CE), leadership opportunities, and service days. The local and state associations excel in organizing activities and engaging directly with their members. Pickard says national organizations play a vital role in establishing standards, creating platforms, and offering strategic thinking, advocacy, and guidance.

Pickard also says there is a lot of variation in DSOs due to the numerous models. Although he can’t speak for all DSOs, PDS has not only provided those services but has also significantly enhanced them over the years since it was founded in 1994. Other DSOs have made similar strides. “In the early days, DSOs primarily focused on establishing platforms for operational efficiencies, securing purchasing discounts, and managing the marketing, billing, and HR [human resources] functions,” Pickard says.

Dental associations also brought colleagues together outside of school for collaboration, provided support, and created a unified voice for doctors, according to Tim Quirt, DDS, senior vice president of clinical operations at Heartland Dental. However, the associations could only go so far. After their formation, DSOs took collaboration to a new level through their communities. “We’ve created even more ability for doctors to share,” Dr Quirt says.

He thinks the lack of competition between supported clinicians in the same organization improves information sharing. Plus, the top-down approach that applies to all clinician activity associations differs from the environment created by an organization like Heartland Dental, which he describes as a doctor-led organization. “[We ask the question]: ‘What items [do] you need?’ Then we address those from the clinicians rather than the other way around,” Dr Quirt says.

The Roles Continue to Develop as Each Organization Grows

Chris Salierno, DDS, speaker, writer, dental consultant, and chief dental officer for Tend, a growing DSO with multiple locations on the East Coast, says the support roles of organized dentistry and group practices used to be dissimilar but there has been increasing change in that area over time. Dr Salierno says organized dentistry served as the voice of the dental profession, offered tangible benefits (eg, discounts on life insurance), and played a significant role in facilitating CE. Group practices served more as employers for dentists and as a potential exit strategy for established dental practices. “Today, there is more overlap,” he says. “Organized dentistry is still the profession’s voice, particularly in legislative matters. However, group practices are also significant providers of tangible benefits and CE.”

Arwinder Judge, DDS, chief clinical officer at Aspen Dental, says that from an overarching perspective, dental associations and DSOs have pushed in several ways, including advocacy, regulation, and CE. DSOs also provide various nonclinical services to the dentists they support, such as HR, marketing, payroll, information technology, accounting, procurement, scheduling, and compliance, which are all critical business functions that are essential to running a dental practice. However, since its founding 25 years ago, Aspen Dental continues to grow the services they develop for their supported clinicians. 

“For example, we’re expanding our learning and development programs for dentists and dental team members. Aspen has built a robust [CE] platform and online learning portal. We’re also set to launch The Aspen Group University, or ‘TAG U,’ [which is] a hands-on, immersive learning program to develop personal and professional growth across the organization,” Dr Judge says. “Each of these entities is important when looking at the future of dentistry.”

The Aspen Group University Opens Impressive Learning Facility in Chicago

Pickard agrees that one of the most evident areas of overlap between DSOs and trade associations is in CE and personal and professional development. DSOs have made substantial investments in facilitating the growth and development of their supported clinicians. “State dental components have tried to compete with DSOs regarding operational excellence and procurement, but they have seen limited success. Trade associations tend to excel in areas like malpractice insurance. For instance, the Florida Dental Association offers a strong package. These challenges partly stem from the differing expertise, objectives, and organizational structures of trade associations compared [with] DSOs,” he says.

“Then there are many complementary areas where their roles do not overlap,” Pickard continues. “For example, associations do not offer mentoring or shoulder-to-shoulder clinical development, along with the sense of camaraderie that occurs within large group DSOs. There may be a competitive spirit within a DSO, but it’s also more supportive and collaborative. Outside the DSO environment, it seems much more cutthroat, which tends to restrict the sharing of best practices and KPIs (key performance indicators).”

Pickard says DSOs and trade associations can and do collaborate on industry standards, advocacy, and broader industry initiatives, hopefully speaking with a large and unified voice on important issues that impact dental professionals and patients across the board.

Dr Salierno also points out examples of group practices taking on legislative battles to support the profession, such as the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO). However, associations are changing their roles, too. “The ADA has recently launched ADA Practice Transitions, which is an interesting example of how organized dentistry can help facilitate employment and exit opportunities,” he says.

John Blake, DDS, executive director of the Children’s Dental Health Clinic and president of the California Dental Association (CDA)—the largest state dental association, with more than 27,000 members—agrees that a significant difference is an organization like the CDA that represents all the ways dentists practice, from private practice to small or large group practices to rural clinics to dental faculty. By contrast, support organizations focus on the success of the dental practices backed by their organization. “The CDA’s approach has been to provide the necessary resources, education, guidance, and support, regardless of their career path,” Dr Blake says. “The DSO has centralized teams that assist with many elements but are more company-specific resources specific to their business model.

“I don’t consider that a bad thing,” Dr Blake continues. “Their focus is different than the broader approach that the CDA has taken, which is agnostic to practice environment.”

Tammy Filipiak, RDH, MS, FADHA, past president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and vice president of hygiene support and clinical operations at Smile Brands Inc, has experience in both organization types. The ADHA represents the interests of dental hygienists nationwide. Moreover, association members advocate for hygienists, driving the changes in the scope of practice at the state level. For example, Wisconsin, where Filipiak practices, allows her to practice very differently today than when she started her hygienist career. She credits these changes to the professional association and its advocacy efforts.

Like the ADA and the CDA, the ADHA is a 3-tiered association with national, state, and local levels. Filipiak says the national level is involved in federal advocacy, taking on areas such as interstate licensing compacts, making it easier for hygienists to practice in different states. The organization’s state level works to advance the hygienist’s scope of practice and determine which supervision and setting they can treat patients. For example, Texas recently passed legislation that will allow hygienists to administer local anesthetic. 

“We celebrate all of that progress,” Filipiak says. “Some of it happens sooner and some later. The important thing—the ‘why’ behind it—is we are always looking to provide our care to more patients because we know what we do as dental hygienists is so important not only on the preventive side but also on the therapeutic side of treating disease and infection.”

In Filipiak’s experience, support organizations also have an essential role in these areas, which creates overlap. For example, associations and support organizations want clinicians to advance their clinical skills, leadership, and communication. However, the overlap isn’t a conflict; there is room for both organizations in these areas because people learn in different ways. “Some people prefer a live program, others prefer a virtual,” Filipiak says, adding that clinicians can earn CE in some states through recorded programs such as webinars. “We live in a world where flexibility is critical, so the fact that professionals have options is a good thing.”

Filipiak says Smile Brands provides CE for doctors every week. Their schedule also includes programs for hygienists, dental assistants, and the business office team. The topics range from the whole of dentistry to role-specific areas.

For example, the hygiene programs cover topics from supporting clinical skill development and review to the many scientific topics that inform on things like risk assessment, pathogen pathway, and the impact of inflammatory infection in the body. However, unlike the programs that an association presents, a DSO is also likely to deliver learning to support new technology, and then the necessary and specific workflow changes to incorporate what the participant learned. These practical applications are essential to achieve an improved patient experience and elevate the team’s level of care, Filipiak explains. “It’s a more micro vs macro view on not only what the technology can do but [also] how we use it, implement it, bring value to the patient, and get to the outcome we’re trying to achieve,” she says.

The available resources also differentiate the roles of dental associations vs other support organizations. For example, the CDA addresses state legislation affecting clinicians and patients. From his years on the Government Affairs Council, Dr Blake says the CDA has a strong advocacy team. This year, the CDA is working with the state regarding dental benefits and insurance, which is a significant pressure point for dentists. 

Additionally, when emerging issues affect dentistry, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the profession looks to the state association for guidance. “That’s where the association shines and serves our members well,” Dr Blake says. “Depending on their size, strength, and how they feel about advocacy, it would be more challenging for that to happen with a large group or a DSO environment.”

Dr Blake also explains that the dental board and legislators want to know how the issues they confront in lawmaking affect dental practitioners. For example, the board wanted to know from dentists how dental practices handled the shortages of hygienists and dental assistants following the pandemic and how to create environments that would recruit more new people. “They want to hear from dentists,” he says. “That’s where many of our professionals come into play in those conversations.”

Another significant way that the CDA enhances its membership business is through The Dentists Insurance Company (TDIC). TDIC is available in California only to association members and provides malpractice, property, workers’ compensation, and cyber liability insurance just for dentists. TDIC also provides direct risk management support to California dentists via an advice line that offers practical “in-the-moment” advice and courses that help dentists to avoid risk. “It’s a key benefit,” Dr Blake says, adding that the organization is also available in other states. “TDIC is consistently in the top 3 when we ask members to rank the benefits offered by the CDA.”

Dr Shepley says the ADA is innovative and is focused on the future so they can deliver for members today, tomorrow, and “for 164 more years to come". Part of that innovation strategy is actively collaborating with many dental industry stakeholders and key organizations, including many DSOs. For example, Dr Shepley says the ADA collaborated with the ADSO on essential advocacy efforts, especially around dental insurance reform and the dental licensure compact. “Collaboration on these issues is crucial because helping all dentists thrive supports and strengthens our profession,” he says.

The ADA and state and local dental associations offer a wide range of products and services to help dentists succeed, Dr Shepley explains. Group practices can’t do everything, so membership value from the ADA tripartite provides meaningful support for dentists throughout their career journey.

To ensure its value proposition is evolving to meet the needs of group practice dentists, the ADA tripartite has engaged in various conversations with DSO dentists and leaders. Likewise, the ADA is introducing a new membership model in 2025 to modernize its membership to meet the demands of changing demographics and practice modalities within dentistry. The new membership model will ultimately offer opportunities to attract and engage both existing and potential members in new and exciting ways across all levels (ie, national, state, and local) of the ADA.

“You can build local and national networks throughout organized dentistry and engage in conversations to foster mentorship, seek out new perspectives, and share innovative ideas. When dentists get involved as volunteer leaders in the tripartite, it strengthens the profession by contributing to the variety of voices in dentistry,” Dr Shepley says.

Dr Salierno says dental professionals will continue to see organized dentistry and group practices overlap further in their value propositions to dentists. “I predict and hope that they’ll improve how they collaborate and find synergies,” he says. “For example, Tend [has] worked cooperatively with local dental societies to encourage membership in the ADA and help affect positive legislative change in our communities.”

Looking ahead, Dr Blake also sees an opportunity to move forward and align interests for the sake of the profession and the patients. He sees natural links and potential cost-sharing to benefit both practices and providers.

The landscape for practicing dentistry is changing. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that patients have access to quality care, and to make that happen, providers need adequate support to practice in a way that suits their unique needs.

“There are multiple ways to practice dentistry, and supporting those in the form of additional services and expertise that demonstrate the value of associations regardless of practice modality is important,” Dr Blake says. “Ideally, open communication and collaboration becomes the foundation of the success for both DSOs and group practice environments and associations.

“Communication is key—whatever the practice environment is or whoever the practice owner is. We want to support newer dentists,” Dr Blake says. “We’re always looking for avenues to make that happen. Currently, most DSO-supported dentists are opting not to join the association. [Although] we are working hard on creating unique value, it is often a challenge for DSO-supported dentists, and particularly those just getting started in the profession, to justify the cost. In our current model, the DSOs don’t directly pay into the tripartite. With that in mind, we are opening conversations about how our current membership model may need to adapt to ensure that associations remain a thriving part of the profession well into the future.”

“This is an innovative time for the ADA,” Dr Shepley says. “As we work to fortify the profession’s future and organize dentistry for many years to come, we are proud to have had a presence at DSO conferences, including most recently the Dykema DSO Conference [Dykema’s Annual Definitive Conference for DSOs]. We plan to continue joining these meetings to collaborate and engage in the necessary dialogue to continue moving dentistry forward, especially as the percentage of dentists working for DSOs has increased from 8.8% in 2017 to 10.4% in 2021, according to data from the ADA Health Policy Institute—a percentage that is expected to grow.”

Pickard thinks predicting how these relationships might change is challenging, given the current climate and distributive environment dental professionals all operate in today.

“I’m very excited about how organized dentistry has embraced DSOs and the tens of thousands of dentists who have chosen to practice this way. Certainly, it makes good financial sense, given the growth of DSOs and the increasing number of dentists opting for affiliation, but it’s widely recognized that this hasn’t always been the case. In fact, there are still a handful of state dental components and local associations that are hesitant to accept the evolving landscape and acknowledge the great work supported dentists provide to their communities,” Pickard says.

“I’m also hearing that [the CDA] is considering offering its members the option to separate from the tripartite membership,” Pickard continues. “I’m concerned that this could potentially fracture our industry, weakening it from the inside—the reason for the fall of many great entities. This would reshape the relationship between dentists and their trade associations. It’s hard to predict its potential impact on the relationship between the associations and DSOs.

“But as DSOs continue to expand and gain prominence, their influence will naturally increase. With thousands of DSOs operating worldwide, supporting tens of thousands of clinicians and steadily growing, and the potential for organized dentistry to become fractured, there could be a day when the association[s] of DSOs could rival that of organized dentistry, leading to another equally strong voice within the industry. I think dentistry will remain a strong and vibrant industry regardless, as long as we continue to stay focused on helping clinicians be successful and prioritizing patient and community health,” Pickard says.

Dr Judge says throughout the past few years, DSOs have seen an alignment with organized dentistry on advocacy issues that affect both DSO-supported and private practice dentists. Aspen Dental and other DSOs have partnered with state dental societies to pass dental insurance reform and licensure portability legislation in multiple states. “In the future, we’ll see this trend continue and perhaps even expand beyond political advocacy into access issues. It’s exciting to think about what we can accomplish by working together in solidarity with the ADA and state dental leadership. We have seen more dental students seeking DSOs not [only] as an optional career pathway but [also] as a preferred pathway,” Dr Judge says.

Dr Quirt agrees that open communication between the 2 entities is critical for dentistry.

The data from associations at a macro level and the data gathered by DSOs could produce some essential insights that would benefit the dental industry. Moreover, working together could unify the industry’s voice more on crucial legislative matters, such as payer relationships and managing the growing demand for care from Medicare patients facilitated by supplemental dental coverage plans.

“We want the whole industry to do well. It’s all about how dentists can care for patients,” Dr Quirt says. “We all should be freely sharing. There’s so much dentistry out there, and it’s needed—not just wanted—even though that’s a big market segment. But we have to unify and come together on what’s best for doctors and the providers.”

Filipiak agrees that these conversations will advance the profession. For example, the ADHA and the ADSO met with industry educators about how to support them and their students at a recent ADHA panel discussion. Conversations between dental entities like these develop new ways to help dentistry in educational, practice, and professional growth environments and patient care.

“All those things ultimately lead to a better profession of dentistry, dental hygiene, dental assisting, and dental practice administrators,” Filipiak says. “We are not that different; we want the same thing. We have different resources, but collectively, we have many of the same objectives.”

“Dental associations like the ADA are different than Aspen Dental and other DSOs, but there is still room for overlap,” Dr Judge says. “The overall mission of each entity is to support dentists in their career journey and improve access to care and the lives of patients. We have more in common than differences, and together, we can ensure that future dental professionals are protected and their quality of life continues to enhance.”

Dental association leaders and support organizations play key roles in backing dental practices today, but these roles are expected to change in the future. 

The Future of Organized Dentistry: The Role of Dental Associations in a Group and Supported Practice World

Designed to help add efficiency to dental front desk teams by automating large parts of the pre-appointment workflow, AirPay is a platform that integrates with popular practice management systems and automates insurance eligibility checks for the entire schedule in bulk.

The platform helps dental teams manage their administrative tasks through the precision and speed of automation. This offers numerous benefits that extend to both dental professionals and their patients.

Dental practices adopting AirPay's automation experience immediate improvements in several key areas, reduction in claim denials and rejections, decreased missed collections, time savings, and reduced stress. The AirPay platform streamlines benefits verification and minimizes errors that could potentially lead to claim denials or rejections. Pre-verification also helps reduce missed payments as patients have a better sense of what to budget for their treatment. Time savings stem from eliminating the need for staff to manually review insurance plan benefits, which also helps reduce the amount of stress placed on the team.

The AirPay platform’s benefits extend beyond dental professionals. By providing clarity on dental insurance plans and treatment costs, AirPay can help reduce uncertainty for patients, enabling them to make informed decisions about their dental care. With cost a significant barrier to health care, and especially dental care, up front information about benefits and out of pocket costs is important to patients today.

AirPay Dental's platform integrates with multiple practice management platforms including Dentrix, EagleSoft, Open Dental, Denticon, Dentrix Enterprise, Cloud 9, and Dentrix Ascend. Additionally, the platform can support other systems in most cases via data extracts, ensuring compatibility with just about any dental practice.

Air Pay was founded by Derek Giddon, DDS, and Daniel Horowitz. Dr Giddon, who serves as CEO, has more than a decade of experience as a dentist and practice owner. Horowitz, serves as the CTO and previously held the role of CTO at 1010Data, which was acquired by Advance Newhouse in 2015.

With a focus on aiding practice efficiency and enhancing the patient experience, AirPay is a software platform designed to automate pre-appointment tasks.

AirPay Automates Dental Insurance Verification and Payments

Senior Research Associate Daewoo Han, left, and Distinguished Research Professor Andrew Steckl collaborated on a new at-home test for gingivitis in Steckl's NanoLab. | Image Credit: Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand

A team of engineers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) has developed a new at-home test that can detect gingivitis, the earliest form of gum disease. The test, which is still in development, uses a saliva sample to detect the presence of endotoxins, toxins produced by the bacteria that cause gingivitis.

Gingivitis is driven by specific bacteria and pinpointing this culprit has posed a formidable challenge for researchers, as highlighted by Andrew Steckl, PhD, an Ohio Eminent Scholar and distinguished research professor in UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

"The hurdle has been navigating the intricate task of detecting the toxin produced by the bacteria responsible for gingivitis," Steckl says in a release from the University of Cincinnati.

This pioneering effort saw collaboration between Steckl, UC Senior Research Associate Daewoo Han, PhD, and Sancai Xie, PhD, a principal scientist at Procter & Gamble Co. Their research findings have been published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Sensors and Diagnostics.

With experience developing other biosensing applications, the research team began looking at ideas for early detection of gingivitis and periodontal disease because of the prevalence of gum disease and its connections to numerous other health concerns. Saliva was the target of this research for a number of reasons.

"There are good reasons to use saliva,” Steckl says. “It's relatively plentiful and easy to obtain through noninvasive methods. And saliva has a lot of important elements that can act as indicators of your health."

The research team pretreated saliva samples with potato starch to eliminate the interference of amylase, a protein that could skew test results. Their innovative test relies on antibodies that react to the endotoxins present in the bacteria responsible for gingivitis. Specifically, the tests are currently designed to detect the presence and quantity of 

Now the team plans to work on both increasing the test sensitivity, and looking for other lipopolysaccharides that could be identified in saliva to provide diagnostic testing for other conditions.

While at-home pregnancy testing is relatively common, home diagnostics for diseases such as gingivitis were not common prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the at-home medical testing market is predicted to become a $45 billion industry by 2031 according to Allied Market Research. Tests such as the one being developed at UC are poised to help people better understand their current health and long-term risks, ideally leading to earlier detection and improved treatment outcomes.

University of Cincinnati Engineers Pioneer Device for Early Gingivitis Detection

Breakthrough Home Saliva Test Detects Gingivitis

Laura Dorr is the former executive editor of DPR's Modern Dental Network and a regular contributing author.

Adding It All Up: The Real Costs in Money and Time When Opening Your Own Practice: © Svetlana - stock.adobe.com


The idea of opening your own dental practice is appealing. Be your own boss, make your own hours, manage your own team. But along with being the boss comes the responsibility of number crunching—and sometimes, the numbers can be daunting.

Dentists thinking about opening their own practice should pay attention to those numbers before they dive in. Statistics vary, but the general consensus is that starting a new dental practice will set a dentist back about $500,000.

 This number varies based on location, building decisions, and other factors, but the initial investment will be hefty.

Couple this with around $70,000 in operating costs each month, and the necessary upfront capital is nothing to scoff at.

 According to the American Dental Association, it can take 4 to 7 years to build a dental practice into maturity, so the costs along the way—both monetary and time—won’t go away any time soon.

So for dentists looking to open their own practice, where does all that money come from—and where does it go?

The initial cost of starting a new practice can be the most daunting hurdle. Coming up with the capital can be a big hurdle, particularly for newer dentists still juggling student loan debt.

“There aren’t many people who can just say, ‘I’m going to go put up $800,000 of my own money and buy this practice or start this practice,’ ” says Bruce Bryen, CPA, CVA, a dental practice valuation analyst at Baratz & Associates, PA.“So you go to the bank, you go to the lender, and you’ve got all kinds of help.”

Finding the right lender is the first step. Sometimes, the lowest rate—while tempting—won’t be the best one. Lenders who have worked with dental startups before are going to be better situated to deal with disbursements to the vendors involved in setting up the practice and may offer lower first-year costs. It’s also important to work with a lender that’s really going to evaluate the situation; sometimes, Bryen says, getting turned down for a loan can save you in the long run.

“With inflation, banks may not lend 100%,” he explains. “They may not lend working capital. But one of the good things about borrowing money to buy a practice is that they are looking at the investment, and [whether] it’s a good one. So if you get turned down, they are seeing something bigger that you aren’t; if you’re trying to buy an existing practice, you’ve got someone with financial experience who is going to say, ‘Look, their gross revenue has dropped for 3 straight years.’ You don’t want to get into something like that.”

A significant expense in starting a new dental practice is the actual build. Construction is going to be one of the largest bills when starting a practice from scratch or renovating an existing practice. Experts estimate that dentists can expect to spend between $120,000 to $480,000 on building costs, depending on whether they are renovating or building new. Breaking it down, this is about $100 to $200 per square foot of the practice.

Dentists should also factor in the fees associated with building permits, architects, and various contractors such as plumbers or electricians. It can add up quickly, making the higher end of the building-cost spectrum cost-prohibitive for many dentists. If this is the case, Bryen recommends renting a space instead of building a new office to cut expenses.

“You might not be able to buy the dental building right away; you may have to rent it for a few years,” Bryen says. “But you can definitely buy or start up the practice, and you’ll have the equity to do other things down the road.”

If you are looking to build a brand-new facility from scratch, be prepared to wait up to a year and half before you open your doors. Generally, it can take 2 to 3 months for site preparation, 6 to 9 months for build, and 2 to 3 months to finish the interior of the building.

 For those who have purchased or are leasing an existing office, the timeline is expedited; instead of 18 months, you can expect 4 to 9 months for renovation, depending on what the space was originally.

In the meantime, continue to work part time somewhere to supplement your income. Then, once your practice takes off, you can transition your time there.

Once the space has been established, it has to be furnished with equipment and supplies. Stocking everything from chairs, imaging systems, and ­­­operatory furniture and fixtures to­ hygiene tools, front desk equipment, and so on, adds up quickly. Generally, this equipment will account for around 30% of the total startup costs.

Perhaps one of the most important investments to get a practice up and running is the framework that will run the day to day: the practice management software. Practice management platforms manage everything from the schedule and accounts receivable to production and collection. While it’s not cheap, it is critical for a smooth workflow and successful dental practice management.

“Practice management solutions are the backbone of a dental practice and become the source of truth for many aspects of the practice, including patient records, billing, insurance, patient communications,” says Chae Kim, chief solutions architect for Planet DDS. “So investing in the right solution is vital to get you off the ground and plan for the future. I’d recommend a cloud-based solution, which offers more accessibility [and] less reliance on servers, and allows practices to grow and scale more easily.”

There is a wide variety of practice management software available on the market, with various features and price tags. Generally, all new implementations will come with an initial price, and have some fixed costs. For locally hosted software, solo practices can expect to pay anywhere from $1500 for basic software with a single user to $15,000 to $50,000 for software with features such as billing and electronic health records, and multiple users. Practices should also budget for potential data transfer fees for any preexisting data, or for ongoing tech support costs.5

For cloud-based software, there will also be ongoing subscription fees. Practices implementing cloud-based packages can expect to pay an initial setup fee ranging up to $5000 and then monthly fees of $50 to $500 per user.

“Most dental practices select cloud-based software,” says Jill Nesbitt, founder and dental software consultant for Optimize Dental Counseling. “For new implementations this will have some fixed costs and then a monthly subscription. Fixed costs will include training, conversion, and perhaps outside resources.”

The outside resources Nesbitt refers to include trainers and consultants that can get a practice’s team up to speed on how the software works. Basic training is included in the purchase price of most software plans, but on-site training—or additional training down the road—is sometimes an additional cost. However, it’s a good investment: Bringing in advisers means that practices will be able to get the most out of their software while not relying on team members to train one another—both of which combine to make software more cost-effective.

“I’m a consultant often brought in to run a new dental software implementation,” Nesbitt says. “This is a benefit to the dental group because they don’t have to pull an existing team member away from their full-time job, plus a consultant will have expertise in the areas of change management, project management, creating SOPs, best practices for dental software set up, etc.”

In addition to the fixed costs and the cost of bringing in an additional trainer or consultant, practices also have to prepare to spend time as well as money. Training on entirely new systems shouldn’t happen through trial and error while the practice is up and running. Instead, practice owners should expect to schedule some downtime to make sure everyone on the team is properly trained.

“The surprise cost may be that in order to train your team on the new software, you may choose to close the office for 1 to 2 days, so this is also a loss of production,” Nesbitt says. “With planning, you can make up this production by opening other parts of days or taking advantage of already scheduled downtime.”

Skipping this change-management portion of new technology adoption can be a huge mistake. Some practices may think that the lost production that will occur if they close from training will outweigh the benefits, but Nesbitt emphasizes that this isn’t true. For example, if the team doesn’t learn how the software works, insurance estimates might be wrong. Then, the team might not trust the system, and won’t collect the right amount from patients—resulting in reduced collections.

“If the system isn’t set up properly, how will the schedule be set up?” Nesbitt says. “How is each adjustment set up to impact production or collection? Which reports are best to use for doctors’ compensation? When one of these is not correct, the data becomes garbage in, garbage out, and all business decisions are impacted.”

Even with thorough training, practices should be prepared for full adoption to take time. They need to ensure that team members are buying in and actually learning what they need to know to get the most out of the technology; while you can train, Nesbitt says, you can’t make people learn.

“Change management takes longer than we all think,” she says. “Time should be invested at the start in selecting an executive champion who will help everyone understand why this tech decision is being made, and then content (training materials, SOPs, etc.) should be implemented to facilitate training. Then you can use the software utilization data to track who still isn’t logging in or using the features. Talk with these team members to find out what is holding them back—and then make a plan to address their concerns.”

Once the building, equipment, and software are all in place, you still have to keep the practice running. The average cost of running a 2-dentist, 6-chair dental practice is between $67,500 to $70,000 per month.

 This includes the cost of rent (or loan payments), insurance, salaries, lab fees, variable costs such as supplies and equipment maintenance, and other expenses such as marketing, web hosting, and advertising. In total, variable costs should run you around 45% to 55% of practice income, while fixed expenses such as rent or mortgage payments, insurance, and utilities make up about 4% to 7% of revenue.

Salary is going to make up the largest portion of your monthly expenses. When considering that aforementioned 2-doctor, 6-chair practice, assume that it will be staffed with 2 dental assistants, a hygienist, and a receptionist or front-office manager, at minimum. According to a 2021 

 salary survey, you’ll be looking at approximately $180,000 annually per dentist and $77,000 for a hygienist.

Dental assistants bring home an average gross salary of $40,000, while you can expect to pay a dental receptionist an average of $32,000, all of which will combine to around $45,000 per month in salary expenses.

Variable costs are the costs of keeping the practice running. In addition to salary, supplies, maintenance or equipment repair, continuing education, and lab fees all fall into the variable-cost bucket. Practices can expect to spend 8% of their total revenue on lab costs alone, and another 6% of total revenue on the other variable dental costs.

Stocking the practice and paying your staff won’t mean anything if you don’t have patients in the chair. And reaching new patients comes with its own investments. Advertising, social media campaigns, and marketing efforts are particularly important to a practice that’s just starting out.

“You can’t open a new dental office without having your own website these days,” says Kim. “Other time and monetary expenses related to that include managing your social media presence, paid advertising, and managing online reviews. Sometimes dentists don’t consider the patient-engagement aspects, but they are critical to have in place.”

Experts recommend going hard on marketing in the beginning, since you’ll be trying to offset incredible overhead and debt with new patients when first opening up. Practices should budget around 20% of projected gross revenue on marketing efforts.

 This may seem like a lot, but projections measure that the cost to acquire a new dental patient can range from $150 to $300 per patient—which can add up quickly if you’re trying to fill an entire patient roster.Once the practice is off the ground, most practices spend in the range of 4% to 7% of annual revenue.

Don’t wait to start marketing until your doors open though; industry experts recommend beginning your marketing efforts at least 2 months before you expect to open your doors, ensuring you’ll have patients ready to go as soon as you are.

While opening a new practice is a significant investment in both time and money, the payoffs can be worth the long hours and financial sacrifices, both emotionally and financially. Understanding the numbers is the first step toward discovering if opening a new practice is the right choice, so potential practice owners should collaborate with a dental CPA or adviser team to figure out what those numbers would look like for them.

1. Flores R. How to start a private dental practice. Amplify Credit Union. October 19, 2020. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://www.goamplify.com/blog/business/how-to-start-a-private-dental-practice/

2. It costs $170,000 to $550,000 to start a dental practice. SharpSheets. January 22, 2023. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://sharpsheets.io/blog/how-much-cost-dental-practice/

3. Variable costs in practice ownership. American Dental Association. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://www.ada.org/en/resources/practice/practice-management/variable-costs

4. Timeline for opening a dental practice. Xite Healthcare Real Estate & Practice Sales. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://www.xiteco.com/timeline-for-opening-a-dental-practice/

5. How much does dental practice management software cost? CostOwl. January 4, 2022. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://www.costowl.com/b2b/management-software/management-software-dental-cost/

6. Puljic V. Ask the expert: practical strategies to reduce dental practice expenses. American Dental Association. March 21, 2022. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://adanews.ada.org/new-dentist/2022/march/ask-the-expert-practical-strategies-to-reduce-dental-practice-expenses

. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/dentist/salary

8. US News Best Jobs: dental hygienist overview. 

. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/dental-hygienist

9. How much should a dental practice spend on marketing? First Dentist. Accessed August 9, 2023. https://firstdentist.com/how-much-should-a-dental-practice-spend-on-marketing/

Opening a new dental practice is a significant investment in both time and money, but proper planning and preparation can make it all worthwhile.

Adding It All Up: The Real Costs in Money and Time When Opening Your Own Practice

Millions of Adults in United States are Without Dental Insurance According to CareQuest Report. Image: © CareQuest Institute for Oral Health 


For the past 3 years, the State of Oral Health Equity in America (SOHEA) survey has gathered data on the oral health of adults in the United States. This year’s data show not only the worrying reality of 68.5 million adults without dental insurance but also that around 91.4 million may be without dental insurance by the end of 2023. This loss of dental insurance can be attributed to the Medicaid redetermination process, per a press release from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.

“With the millions of uninsured adults across the country, we are facing a nationwide oral health crisis that forces many people to forgo critical dental care and disproportionately affects low-income individuals and racial and ethnic minorities,” president and CEO of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA. “To help combat this, we are calling on health care professionals, administrators, policymakers, and advocates to join us in our efforts to increase broad dental coverage in both Medicaid and Medicare.”

Current Medicaid programs are not required to provide dental coverage to adults, leading to confusion and different rules for each state, which is just another hurdle for folks to receive the dental care they need. Medicare Advantage, on the other hand, provides dental benefits but can be limited and confusing as well. Per the survey, adults living in rural areas were more likely to lack dental insurance versus suburban or urban areas, Hispanic individuals were 2 times more likely to have lost dental insurance in the last year compared with white non-Hispanic individuals, and approximately 1/3rd of Medicare and Medicaid participants do not have dental coverage.

As the state of public health emergency expires, so too will there be mass losses of Medicaid dental coverage. To address this concern, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health supports the inclusion of dental coverage in Medicaid and Medicare.

With SOHEA, CareQuest aims to demonstrate just how dire this dental insurance situation can potentially be, showing that millions of people will be losing their coverage. It was administered by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago in January and February 2023, comprising of 5,240 adults. CareQuest will be publishing the full findings in its newest report, “Uninsured and in Need: 68.5 Million Lack Dental Insurance, More May Be Coming.” To learn more about the report and its results, visit CareQuest’s 

In 2023, more than 68.5 million adults in the United States are without dental insurance in their Medicaid and Medicare coverage plans. This number is only going to get higher by the end of the year, per new results from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.  

Millions of Adults in United States are Without Dental Insurance According to CareQuest Report 

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Websites with tailored content and convenient scheduling can help clinicians grow their practices.