Emerging Dental Groups to Watch in 2026 - 10th Year Anniversary!

Announcing the 10th annual ‘Emerging Dental Groups to Watch’ list!

Group Dentistry Now is thrilled to recognize and celebrate the exceptional organizations featured on this prestigious list.

Group dentistry is constantly changing and evolving – there isn’t just one path to success. While the dental industry may be focused on large DSOs, smaller but equally important emerging groups are quietly changing the landscape of dentistry. Furthermore, newer models, such as dental partnership organizations (DPOs), specialty-focused groups, and private group practices (PGPs), are growing as more dentist entrepreneurs build their own group practices.

As the group dentistry model continues to gain momentum, Group Dentistry Now (GDN) remains the trusted voice championing these dynamic, multi-site practices.

See more ‘Emerging Dental Groups to Watch’ winner lists: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.

If your dental group is interested in applying for the 2027 list, please email info@GroupDentistryNow.com.

* The Awards will take place at the ADSO 15th Annual Summit, June 16, 2026 from 12:00-1:00, at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago. Event registration opens in February.

It is with great excitement that we unveil our highly anticipated Emerging Dental Groups to Watch in 2026 list, presented in alphabetical order.

Background

In less than a decade, Blueprint Smiles has become one of Georgia’s fastest-growing doctor-led dental organizations—recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies in both 2023 and 2024. Founded by Dr. Dipesh Patel and his longtime dental-school friend, Dr. Ravi Patel, the group now includes nine locations, 85 team members, and a projected $14 million in 2025 revenue with approximately $3.5 million in EBITDA.

Philosophy

What began as one small practice has evolved into a purpose-driven organization that calls itself the happiest people-service organization in dentistry. While most DSOs focus on patients, Blueprint Smiles focuses on its people—the doctors, hygienists, and team members who care for them. The belief is simple: if the people thrive, the patients always win. By prioritizing fulfillment, training, and lifestyle balance, the group prevents burnout and builds a happier, more stable workforce that delivers better outcomes.

Its guiding philosophy, Work.Life.Thrive., rejects the idea of work-life balance—because balance implies sacrifice. Instead, Blueprint believes both sides can thrive together. Every decision—from scheduling to leadership development—is built around that principle. All offices operate Monday through Thursday with alternating half-day Fridays. No late nights, no weekends. The result: a team that delivers dentistry with energy, empathy, and focus.

Successes

While many DSOs chase expansion, Blueprint Smiles builds sustainability. Revenue grew from $4 million in 2021 to $8 million in 2022, $9.3 million in 2023, $10 million-plus in 2024, and $14 million in 2025—driven largely by same-store growth, with no year in its history posting negative results. The group projects $18 million in 2026 as it introduces specialty services for the first time.

Differentiators

Blueprint’s model blends de novo development (five of nine locations) with acquisitions (four locations)—all purchased under $650,000 in collections so each could be rebuilt using its proven systems, technology, and culture. The company remains privately held, doctor-owned, and bank-funded, with multiple owner-doctors already on board and more to come. The long-term vision isn’t about location count or valuation multiples; it’s about growing at the pace that leadership—and life—can handle.

At the heart of Blueprint Smiles is a reimagined care model. There are no treatment or financial coordinators. Each operatory functions as its own mini-practice, where clinical team members diagnose, treatment-plan, schedule, finance, and complete care. This eliminates handoffs, shortens visits, and increases same-day treatment acceptance. Supported by AI, automation, and advanced workflows, Blueprint aims to become one of the most automated DSOs in the country—technology-driven yet deeply human.

The organization also prides itself on strong business fundamentals. With over 25% four-wall EBITDA, Blueprint maintains a healthy P&L and balance sheet, allowing continual reinvestment in people, technology, and the patient experience—without outside capital or private-equity influence.

Culture

HR and staffing have long been challenges across the dental industry, and Blueprint Smiles has tackled them creatively. Rather than compete for limited talent, the group built a pipeline and infrastructure for the future—creating remote teams around the world to handle administrative and revenue-cycle tasks, launching dental assisting schools, offering internships for hygiene and assisting students, and partnering with local hygiene schools to strengthen the talent pool. Combined with clinical and non-clinical AI, automation, and standardized “blueprints” for every role, the group has reduced dependency on on-site experience while empowering new team members to grow faster and more confidently.

The name Blueprint Smiles reflects their belief that every great outcome—whether a building, a business, or a smile—starts with a clear plan. A blueprint provides structure, repeatability, and the confidence that what’s built will last. The founders applied that same mindset to culture, systems, and patient care—intentionally building a company designed to last for decades, not just to grow fast. Their framework ensures that what’s created is scalable, sustainable, and deeply human.

Community service remains central to its mission. Since 2015, the group has organized annual toy drives for children’s hospitals and launched the Inspire Smiles Project, supporting outreach locally and abroad, including initiatives for their remote teams in Zimbabwe. These acts of giving reflect the belief that happiness and service must extend beyond the operatory.

Challenges

Blueprint Smiles’ journey hasn’t been without adversity. The group has faced multiple operational setbacks—from early doctor turnover to office floods and forced relocations. Each challenge tested the team’s resilience and strengthened its systems for the future.

That resilience traces back to 2013, when Dr. Patel purchased his first practice—an 80 percent Medicaid office in one of Atlanta’s toughest neighborhoods. The building suffered break-ins, equipment failures, and near financial collapse in his first year. Within two years, he grew the practice from $600,000 to $1 million while transitioning fully to PPO and fee-for-service, then relocated to a thriving area. Around that time, his best friend—facing similar struggles—joined forces with him. They realized that what sustained them was having someone to lean on, and that others in dentistry needed the same. In 2015, Blueprint Smiles was born.

Future Initiatives

Looking ahead, Blueprint Smiles will continue expanding through de novos and doctor-owned affiliations, adding specialty care while deepening excellence within its existing footprint. Leadership believes the current nine offices alone have capacity to reach $30 million-plus in general-practice revenue.

Blueprint Smiles may not be the biggest organization on the map—but it’s proving that through automation, mentorship, and a culture built on thriving—not balancing—a dental group can grow fast, stay profitable, and still keep its heart.

Key Executives:

● Dr. Dipesh Patel – Founder & Chief Executive Officer
● Dr. Ravi Patel – Chief Dental Officer
● Dr. Ray Corney – Dental Director
● Jessica Newell – Hygiene Leader
● Hans Patel – Director of Operations
● Tania Lozano – Regional Practice Leader
● Jacy Shelby – Team Development Leader

Background Story

Starting a business at the end of 2019 was, in hindsight, not ideal timing, but perhaps no better way exists to gain real entrepreneurial experience. That is exactly what Ryan Griffith and a small group of Midwestern dentists took on just over five years ago.

What began as a collaboration among a handful of like-minded practices has grown into a network of more than 40 locations across six Midwestern states, on track to do more than $80M in revenue in 2026. Despite the rapid growth, the heart of the organization has not changed. Bright Direction Dental remains rooted in classic Midwest values of integrity, hard work, and humility, along with an unwavering commitment to doing right by patients and the teams who care for them.

From the start, the founders set out to prove that a dental organization could scale without losing its soul. That meant keeping clinicians at the center of decision-making, investing heavily in training and development, and building a culture where growth decisions always consider what is best for patients first. The result is a group where providers feel ownership, teams feel supported, and patients feel the difference the moment they walk through the door.

The group founders are Ryan Griffith, Dr. Ryan Holmes, Dr. Brent Engelberg, Dr. Chris Hardin, Dr. Dan Derksen, Dr. Peter Katris.

Mission and Philosophy

The organization believes that when dentists are empowered to practice their way, supported with education, resources, and a deeply collaborative community, patient care naturally rises to its highest level.

Education is not a side offering at Bright Direction Dental; it is the engine. Through hands-on workshops, regional gatherings, leadership development programs, and strategic partnerships with leaders such as Seattle Study Club and the Team Training Institute, BDD creates an environment where growth is both expected and celebrated. Providers and teams expand their skills, pursue new avenues for clinical excellence, and build careers that fit the lives they want to lead.

A particular area of focus has been elevating the standard of care delivered by hygiene teams across the network. With a shared understanding that preventive dental care is preventive healthcare, and that oral inflammation has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, worsen diabetes control, and impact overall systemic health, investing in education and hygiene teams has been critical to BDD’s success.

The results have been clear. Patients are responding positively to their experiences in BDD practices, reflected in a 93 net promoter score based on surveys from more than 2,000 patient visits over the past year. By doing what is right clinically and delivering an exceptional patient experience, the business results have followed naturally, with over 25 percent growth in the hygiene department over the last six months.

Strategy and Growth

Bright Direction Dental continues to grow through partnerships with strong, independent family practices. In just a few years, the organization has expanded from a handful of local offices to more than 40 practices across the Midwest. BDD aims to surpass 50 locations by the end of 2026, supported by new clinical initiatives and a support team built to meet the needs of a growing footprint.

The most meaningful performance gains have occurred in regions where BDD has built greater density, allowing practices to share resources and enabling more efficient support operations. Continuing to deepen its presence within the six states it currently serves remains the core focus, not expansion for expansion’s sake. As the business scales, “getting closer to the practices” remains an internal mantra. There are no corporate ivory towers at BDD, only team members rolling up their sleeves to provide meaningful, hands-on support.

As anyone in the DSO space knows, integration can be challenging. Expectations may be misaligned, and definitions of effective support can vary widely. With more than 40 affiliations, Bright Direction Dental has refined its affiliation process since its inception. Looking at all new affiliations over the last three years, Bright Direction Dental is showing over a 15% CAGR on EBITDA, a significant testament to identifying the right partners and onboarding effectively for growth. It is privately owned with no PE backing.

Differentiators

1. Education is an investment, not an expense

Bright Direction Dental’s strength comes from having the right structures and systems in place, but what truly sets the organization apart is the philosophy behind them. The organization invests deeply in leadership and education, delivering more than 7,200 hours of continuing education credit last year alone.

This investment is made because BDD believes that when clinicians thrive, everything else follows. At the core of its educational foundation is a strategic partnership with Seattle Study Club. To keep education truly education, BDD intentionally keeps it in the hands of clinicians rather than mandating corporate-driven continuing education.

What has been created is a community where providers learn from one another. For more than 30 years, Seattle Study Club has demonstrated its commitment to developing “Complete Clinicians,” with members generating three times the average case value by practicing in a supportive, peer-driven environment. That same model is being built at BDD through monthly, quarterly, and annual doctor-led programs, with more than 80 percent of providers actively engaged on a regular basis.

Growth begins and ends with people, their talents, ambitions, and desire to shape the future of dentistry.

2. Putting the support back in Dental Support Organization

From insurance and billing to compliance and marketing, Bright Direction Dental provides behind-the-scenes support that keeps practices running smoothly so providers can spend more time focused on patient care. On average, BDD saves its doctors 22 hours of administrative time per week, allowing them to focus on patients rather than paperwork.

Just as important, BDD is intentional about where support is not appropriate. Clinical autonomy sits at the core of Bright Direction Dental’s philosophy. The organization believes each practice should reflect the training, judgment, and values of its providers. As a result, 95 percent of current BDD doctors report that clinical autonomy is not just a promise, but a reality.

3. Smarter technology to elevate diagnosis, treatment, and patient care

As technology continues to reshape healthcare, dental practices are no exception. Today’s tools enable faster workflows, deeper clinical insights, and more informed decision-making than ever before. Entrepreneurial at its core, Bright Direction Dental is developing proprietary technology and partnering with innovative companies shaping the future of dentistry.

What once took weeks to understand in practice performance can now be accessed in seconds. While modern dental practices have access to unprecedented amounts of data, turning that information into better clinical outcomes and sustainable growth remains a challenge. BDD focuses on helping practices translate data into meaningful, practical insights that support stronger diagnosis, more effective treatment planning, and improved patient care.

Grounded in its education-first philosophy, technology is paired with training and development so providers understand how to apply insights, not just access them. By combining smarter tools with clinician-led education, Bright Direction Dental is helping chart a future for oral healthcare that is more informed, more effective, and guided by those who practice it every day.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Rapid growth brings complexity, and Bright Direction Dental has learned that scaling successfully depends on strong people and refined processes. As the organization expands across multiple states, its systems continue to evolve, improving communication, tightening operations, and delivering support that feels helpful and productive rather than intrusive.

The focus remains clear: understand where Bright Direction Dental can add value and remain disciplined in delivering it. The dental industry offers no shortage of new ideas and tools, and BDD has learned through experience that identifying what to say no to is just as important as deciding what to pursue.

Support looks different from practice to practice. The needs of one office are not always the same as another, and BDD has built a flexible support philosophy that avoids a one-size-fits-all approach while remaining efficient and lean.

Looking Ahead

Communities are not built overnight, and Bright Direction Dental is intentionally investing in one designed to last. BDD believes one of the greatest strengths a DSO can offer is access: access to shared knowledge, collective experience, and peers who are often just down the road. What a single practice may not have the time or scale to explore alone, a connected network of like-minded practices can advance more quickly, accelerating learning, clinical insight, and patient outcomes.

By the end of 2026, BDD expects to exceed $80 million in revenue across more than 50 locations, welcoming new partners and expanding development opportunities along the way. Yet growth alone is not the measure of success. Bright Direction Dental defines success by the strength of its community, providers who feel more capable in their craft, more connected to one another, and more in control of their professional futures.

Key Executives:

Steve Wright – CEO
Dr. Ryan Holmes – Chief Clinical Officer
Jay Jorbin – CFO
Remington Zience – SVP of Business Development
Amanda Stawychey – VP of Operations
Josh Flaim – Director of HR

Entrepreneurial Story

Dr. Jeffrey Burch’s entrepreneurial story is one of resilience, family, and vision. His path began with humble beginnings—graduating high school with a 1.7 GPA—but he refused to let that define him. At just 17 years old, he enlisted in the United States Army as an infantry soldier, serving extended duties along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea. That experience taught him discipline, sacrifice, and perseverance. During his service, he earned the prestigious Expert Infantryman Badge, a distinction symbolizing technical mastery, precision, and mental toughness—qualities that would later define his approach to dentistry and leadership.

After completing his military service, Dr. Burch dedicated himself to higher education, ultimately earning his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and completing specialty training in periodontics. The discipline, structure, and leadership training he received from some of our nation’s finest soldiers became the backbone of his clinical and entrepreneurial philosophy.

The driving force behind Dr. Burch’s success has always been his family. Married to a fellow dentist, he and his wife built their careers side by side while raising three sons. In 2014, their youngest son, Jordan, was diagnosed with leukemia, and life changed in profound ways. Over two years of on-and-off hospital stays—often isolated and quarantined—Dr. Burch and his wife faced some of their most difficult moments. His wife stepped away from dentistry to focus on family, while Dr. Burch carried the responsibility of leading their practice forward.

In 2016, Jordan courageously lost his battle with cancer. The experience forever reshaped Dr. Burch’s outlook on life, family, and purpose. Out of that heartbreak came a renewed sense of mission. He resolved that tragedy would not define his family’s legacy. Instead, he chose to use that time wisely—to reflect, learn, and build something greater. Feeling he had nothing left to lose, he was willing to risk everything he had to create a model that would redefine the standard of patient care. Out of that conviction, his vision for a doctor-led, patient-centered dental network began to take shape.

That vision became Burch Dental Partners, a doctor-founded and doctor-led dental support organization built on integrity, perseverance, and purpose. What began as a single office has grown into 15 practices across Illinois, Florida, and Wisconsin, following a model that emphasizes regional growth and vertical integration of specialty care.

Under Dr. Burch’s leadership, Burch Dental Partners earned recognition on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. Yet, he measures success not only in growth, but in impact—creating healthier communities, mentoring future leaders, and building a legacy rooted in family, service, and the pursuit of excellence.

Dr. Burch’s journey is a testament to resilience, love of family, and the unwavering belief that even life’s greatest hardships can be transformed into purpose—and that from the deepest pain, lasting strength and vision can emerge.

Foundation

Burch Dental Partners’ foundation is distinctive within the dental industry. The organization is young, stable, and deeply committed to its people. At 51 years old, founder Dr. Burch is the second-oldest member of the leadership team, underscoring the youthful energy and long-term continuity shaping the organization’s future.

Hiring practices are deliberate and disciplined, prioritizing cultural alignment, shared vision, and high standards. Even greater emphasis is placed on onboarding and development to ensure every doctor, hygienist, and team member feels supported, confident, and positioned for success from day one.

They operate a hybrid growth model that combines de novo development with strategic acquisitions, complemented by a growing network of affiliated practices. Over time, all affiliated practices are integrated into the Burch Dental Partners DSO to ensure consistency, scale, and alignment across the organization. The organization’s mission is clear and purposeful: creating healthier communities through integrated dental healthcare.

Demonstrating strong profitability, they have a conservative debt profile, and access to significant credit supported by audited, high-quality earnings. Unlike some DSOs, they are transparent about financial risk and the terms under which they operate. Their approach avoids exaggerated claims or opaque financial structures and instead emphasizes clarity, accountability, and credibility.

Differentiators

The organization operates a robust, high-performing support services platform built intentionally over many years. Senior leadership plays a direct role in designing and scaling every component alongside an experienced internal team. Support services are delivered at a cost of less than 2.5 percent and include HR, accounting, marketing, management, and comprehensive onboarding and education across all levels of the organization.

In addition, the company maintains a defined, proprietary hygiene system supported by a substantial portfolio of intellectual property designed specifically to scale efficiently and consistently across practices.

But what truly differentiates Burch Dental Partners is its hygiene-centric philosophy, led with a heavy focus on the prevention of oral disease. Under the leadership of a board-certified periodontist whose background combines clinical excellence with military discipline, the organization delivers proactive, comprehensive patient care grounded in a strong commitment to education, prevention, and long-term oral health.

The organization is not for sale and proudly identifies as “Team Never Sell.” This philosophy drives a highly selective partnership approach, engaging only with individuals and organizations that share its values, work ethic, and long-term perspective. Burch Dental Partners actively welcomes mergers and partnerships with like-minded groups that align with its culture and commitment to clinical and operational excellence. Partners who contribute growth, leadership, and integrity have the opportunity to invest alongside the organization as true stakeholders in its mission to redefine dentistry.

The group is not private equity backed and remains self-financed primarily through its founder, Dr. Jeffrey Burch, in partnership with bank financing. Leverage is maintained conservatively at approximately 1.0 to 1.5 times EBITDA. The long-term vision extends well beyond a traditional five-year private equity horizon, focusing instead on a disciplined 30-year strategy. The goal is to build an internally backed private equity platform funded by its doctors, with outside investment not considered until the organization reaches at least $100 to $250 million in revenue.

Partnership and Growth

Most of their doctors are entering the early stages of their prime practicing years. For them, partnership is not an exit—it’s a launch point into greater leadership, ownership, and clinical excellence. Through shared equity and aligned incentives, their model cultivates both professional fulfillment and long-term financial success.

Burch Dental Partners is a doctor- and hygienist-led organization grounded in the belief that exceptional patient care begins with empowered clinical teams. The group operates as a platform practice supported by a battle-tested Learning Management System that defines and standardizes clinical care across all locations. Each practice runs on Open Dental and is fully integrated into a unified operating system aligned around a single vision: sustained growth, continuous learning, and long-term investment in people and infrastructure.

Dr. Jeffrey Burch, a board-certified periodontist, has placed thousands of dental implants over the course of his career and remains actively engaged in advancing clinical excellence through education. He leads the Burch Dental Implant Clinic, where he trains doctors in advanced surgical and restorative implant techniques, reinforcing BDP’s commitment to mentorship, innovation, and lifelong professional development.

Over the past two years, the organization has achieved 100 percent doctor retention and more than 85 percent hygienist retention, reflecting a culture rooted in respect, growth, and shared purpose. Incentives, including compensation, bonuses, and benefits, are intentionally structured to align performance and outcomes. The dental group’s objective is to offer the highest wages and strongest benefits in every market it serves, consistently outperforming peer DSOs across industry benchmarks.

The organization has delivered an average growth rate of 29 percent over the past six years, as outlined in its investor guide. Ongoing growth targets are set at 12 percent or higher, with the majority driven by same-store sales. When acquisitions are pursued, growth objectives increase to the 30 to 50 percent range.

Culture and Mindset

Show appreciation every day.
Reflect on the losses—they teach us more than the wins.
Celebrate every victory, big or small.
Kick ass every day.
And most importantly—have fun doing it.

Giving Back

The organization has sponsored an annual mission trip to the same village in Jamaica for the past 20 years. Each year, doctors, hygienists, and dental assistants are selected to participate, with more than 50 clinicians sponsored over the last three years alone. The mission trip is offered as a team benefit. Participants may use paid time off if they wish to receive compensation during that week.

Dr. Jeffrey Burch personally volunteers two to three days per week providing pro bono dental care at the Roscoe Rescue Mission, serving both guests and staff members in need.

In addition, the organization hosts multiple free dentistry days across its practices and provides ongoing support to local children’s organizations and selected private charitable initiatives, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to community service and access to care.

Goals for 2026

Burch Dental Partners plans to continue to execute on its mission of sustainable, doctor-led growth with a clear focus on operational efficiency, strategic expansion, and meaningful partnerships.

Expand Margins Through Operational Efficiency: Consolidating multistate support centers into a single, centralized hub to streamline operations, reduce redundancy, and enhance scalability across all markets.
Invest in Clinical Capacity and Infrastructure: Adding 20 new operatories to the general dentistry side to increase capacity, improve patient flow, and strengthen same-location productivity.
Strategic Real Estate Investments: Advancing three major real estate projects across the portfolio, representing over $10 million in capital expenditures dedicated to expansion, modernization, and long-term asset growth.
Growth Through Strategic Acquisitions: Acquiring a tuck-in practice to fully utilize the expanded capacity within one of the flagship locations, increasing patient access and operational efficiency.
Expansion in Madison, Wisconsin: Strengthening their Wisconsin footprint with the launch of a 7-operatory periodontal specialty practice. This location began in a small, leased space—allowing the team to build a strong referral network before investing in a larger, permanent facility.
Increase Revenue Through Strategic Hiring: Leveraging a strong patient base and fully staffed hygiene department by hiring three additional doctors to meet current demand and maximize capacity. This move will drive significant revenue growth and optimize provider productivity, positioning the group ahead of market trends.
Leadership and Equity Partnerships: Welcoming three doctors and three hygienists as equity partners within Burch Dental Partners DSO, expanding shared ownership through the Hold-Co equity structure and reinforcing the organization’s doctor-led culture.
Future Integration and Affiliations: Preparing for the strategic roll-up of Exceptional Dentistry, currently an affiliate office, to further strengthen alignment and consistency within the network.
Financial Goals: Driving toward a $45 million revenue target with profit margins exceeding 20%, supported by operational excellence, strong leadership, and a commitment to clinical quality.

The Vision Ahead

The organization offers a platform for doctors to partner, lead, and participate meaningfully in long-term value creation. Its ten-year vision is ambitious, with clear objectives that include reaching $250 million in revenue, sustaining EBITDA margins of 20 percent or more, and building a network of high-performing, values-driven practices aligned around a shared purpose.

Dr. Jeffrey Burch and the founding partners have established a foundation that is disciplined, resilient, and strategically focused. While equity is distributed to aligned partners, the core philosophy remains unchanged: Buy. Build. Hold.

The organization is not pursuing outside investment and instead aims to build an internal private equity platform backed by its doctors, with a targeted scale of $100 to $250 million in revenue before reconsidering that position. While future circumstances may evolve, the current strategy is intentionally designed around a 30-year horizon rather than a traditional five-year private equity timeline.

Key Executives:

Jeffrey Burch DMD, MS – CEO, CFO, CIO

Melissa Miller RDH – VP of Operations

Lindsey Svatos RDH – Director of People/HR

Amy Lee RDH – Director of Clinical Operations

Background

The story of Lavender Dental Group did not begin with a legal filing, but with a decade of observation. In 2013, while serving as General Managers at Patterson Dental, Dan Redifer and Cameron Elrod identified a fundamental flaw in the shifting dental landscape: the loss of the “dentist-owner” soul.

The partnership merged two distinct perspectives: Cameron had literally grown up in the dental world, working in his father’s practice since childhood, while Dan was a relative latecomer to the industry, entering his first dental role following a 27-year career in financial services management.

They spent years “future-pacing” a model that could provide the scale of a DSO while preserving the clinical heart of a private practice. This vision was further refined through Dan’s subsequent tenure as COO of a 40-office non-profit DSO and Cameron’s experience in matching buyers with sellers in practice transitions. In 2017, they officially reunited to launch Left Brain Practice Management, operating out of local food courts and Panera Bread locations. By 2018, Lavender Dental Group was established—not by external acquisition, but by a request from their own consulting clients who sought a permanent partnership over a standard contract.

Lavender’s Core Purpose is to create a dental home for patients, providers, and support staff through collaboration, confidence, and security, utilizing a comprehensive approach to care encompassing visual evidence and AI analytics.

Strategy

Lavender Dental Group is composed of 17 practices rolled into 11 sites in Michigan. Their preferred model is the strategic tuck-in merger, moving smaller offices into larger facilities to ensure a two-doctor minimum. This structure provides clinicians with seamless coverage for life events like maternity/paternity leave without a loss in care. To stay relevant, the group participates in industry meetings annually, ensuring they remain at the forefront of dental technology and products.

Growth Model

Lavender is built for “perpetuity.” In developing the model, Dan and Cameron evaluated traditional Private Equity and “family money” investors but found they were often designed to apply basic business principles to organizations lacking management backgrounds. Having already managed at high corporate levels, the founders didn’t need a manager; they wanted a growth partner.

They built a model catered to entrepreneurial clinicians and “doctor-turned-administrator” organizations that value collaborative growth over top-down control. To drive this, they incorporated the principles of an Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), simplifying the complex strategies they had used in large corporations and disseminating them effectively to dental teams. This commitment to the provider was heavily influenced by the late Dr. Wayne Mortenson, who coached the duo on unified branding and “name plates,” and Dr. Thomas Veryser, who provided the structural framework for clinical autonomy.

The “Earn-In” Equity Path: Lavender removes the financial barrier to entry by allowing associates to vest shares over five years based on a percentage of their production. It is not a salary deduction; it is a path to wealth for doctors who might otherwise be priced out of ownership.
Low Turnover, High Autonomy: By staying out of the “one-size-fits-all” trap, Lavender maintains a low doctor turnover rate. They provide no preset CE budget, encouraging clinicians to pursue their own unique paths, whether that means surgery, cosmetics, or new diagnostic techniques.

Challenges

Growth has not been without significant hurdles. Recruiting high-quality associates remains a challenge due to the “noise” in the DSO space. Many young clinicians are educated on the pitfalls of “corporate dentistry” without understanding that most corporate or group practices spawned from attractive opportunities presented to a lead dentist in a family practice. Furthermore, rising wages and a lack of professionals in rural markets have forced the group to be more strategic. While talent often gravitates toward urban centers, Lavender has found success in less urban markets by empowering their teams to do more in-house, ensuring every team member is utilized to their greatest potential.

Revenue and Strategic Growth

The organization generated just over $13 million in revenue last year and is forecasting $16.3 million based on the three offices integrated into the organization in 2025, two of which were effectively added in Q4. Depending on the timing of 2026 acquisitions, the organization may exceed this forecast by a substantial margin.

Differentiators

Lavender leverages technology for conservative, patient-centric outcomes.

The Life-Saving Catch: A powerful validation of Lavender’s technology investment occurred when a new patient visited an office equipped with a newly installed Cone Beam (CBCT). The dentist identified an unusual growth on the lower jaw and made an immediate referral to a primary care physician. The patient was quickly admitted for treatment for an early-stage cancer diagnosis—a catch that likely saved her life.
Conservative Innovation: Lavender clinicians are champions of Overjet AI and Curodont. Even when insurance reimbursement is below cost, the group prioritizes these tools to restore enamel and avoid invasive drilling.
Operational Excellence: Lavender maintains a 98% collection rate, driven by site-level ownership. Pre-authorizations and front-end collections are handled so efficiently that less than 2% of claims require additional input, allowing for highly accurate revenue forecasting.
Efficiency for Patients: As proponents of same-day crowns, the group focuses on cleaner schedules and patient convenience, eliminating the need for temporary crowns and multiple office visits.

Culture and Branding

The ultimate proof of Lavender’s culture came from a departing associate who was moving out of the market. In an exit interview, he noted that his experience with Lavender was the best of any DSO he had encountered. Rather than being singularly focused on revenue, he found Lavender’s focus on the provider and patient to be a refreshing alternative to the “production-at-all-costs” philosophy seen elsewhere.

Inspired by a coworker who distilled her own oils, the name “Lavender” reflects a commitment to the environment and the patient. Every office uses lavender-infused diffusers to lower patient anxiety.

Giving Back

Philanthropy at Lavender is a deep-seated value held by both founders. Cameron Elrod currently serves as the President of the Michigan Dental Association (MDA) Foundation, their combined commitment ensures that Lavender’s leadership is a driving force in improving dental health across Michigan.

The Lavender team takes a lead role in charitable efforts, including sending a contingency team to the Michigan Mission of Mercy (MOM), a massive free clinic event that provides millions of dollars in care to underserved populations.

Additionally, Lavender supports the Michigan Pollinator Initiative at Michigan State University and gives out lavender seeds to patients.

Future Vision and Goals

Short-Term (2026): Targeting the addition of 3–5 sites and 7% organic growth.
Long-Term: Lavender has received preliminary approval for their name and logo from the US Patent and Trademark Office, paving the way for expansion outside of Michigan in the next 2–4 years.

Key Executives:

Dan Redifer – Co-Founder & CEO
Cameron Elrod – Co-Founder & COO
Greig Davis – CFO
Dr Donald LeBlanc – Interim CDO
Michael Benghiat – CMO

Background

Mosaic Dental Collective, LLC was founded on a simple idea: if entrepreneurial dentists are given real partnership, operational clarity, and leadership accountability then sustainable growth follows. Rather than imposing a top-down DSO structure, Mosaic was purposefully designed as a bottom-up organization—one that scales by strengthening individual practices, not overriding them.

Founded by Dr. Jagdev Heir, MD, DMD, FACS, Mosaic emerged from lived experience. Dr. Heir and the group’s early clinical leaders had built successful practices firsthand, only to see scale in the broader DSO market increasingly come at the expense of entrepreneurial mindset, leadership accountability, and long-term doctor engagement. Mosaic was created to answer a simple but difficult question: What happens if dentists are treated as entrepreneurs for the entire lifecycle of the organization—not just at entry?

Strategy and Growth

From the beginning, Mosaic was designed as an entrepreneurial platform, not a consolidation machine. Rather than imposing uniformity, the organization focused on strengthening individual practices, sharpening leadership capability, and aligning incentives so that growth is earned—not forced. Partnership at Mosaic means shared upside, shared accountability, and shared decision-making, not just access to centralized services.

The organization began with four founding practices and formally launched in 2021 with 21 locations. Today, Mosaic operates nearly 60 practices across California, Washington, and Idaho, growing through selective affiliations and targeted de novo development. Each new practice is evaluated beyond EBITDA. Leadership depth, entrepreneurial mindset, and long-term alignment matter as much as financial performance. By design, not every practice qualifies as a good fit.

Since inception, Mosaic has achieved an average annual growth rate of approximately 30%, with a targeted growth rate of 10–12% moving forward. The organization is private equity backed, a structure chosen to support capital discipline and long-term execution.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Like most entrepreneurial organizations, Mosaic’s early years were not linear. Rapid expansion revealed inconsistent scheduling discipline, uneven operating playbooks, and limited visibility into true performance drivers. These gaps constrained margins and made forecasting difficult—challenges many groups attempt to outgrow. Mosaic chose a different path.

In 2025, leadership made a deliberate entrepreneurial decision to pause acquisitions and reinvest in the core business. Rather than chasing top-line growth, Mosaic rebuilt its operating system by aligning marketing, call handling, and scheduling with real practice capacity and accountability. Vanity metrics were replaced with unit economics. As a result, pilot locations improved scheduling rates by approximately 12%, reduced open chair time by 17%, and established consistent first-visit profitability. The experience reinforced a core belief: entrepreneurship scales only when fundamentals are disciplined.

Financially, Mosaic operates with clear return thresholds and margin expectations, targeting sustainable EBITDA margins of 24%-28% while reinvesting in leadership, systems, and clinical development. Mosaic’s private equity partnership was selected intentionally to support this philosophy. Private equity is not viewed as an exit accelerant, but as aligned capital that enables disciplined growth, governance, and long-term value creation. Mosaic’s ownership philosophy is to build a durable, doctor-led enterprise worth owning, long before it is ever sold.

Differentiators

Entrepreneurship at Mosaic extends to both people and patient outcomes. The organization maintains approximately 85% patient retention, which is above industry averages, reflecting continuity of care, consistent patient experience, and stable practice operations. This performance is reinforced by strong doctor and team retention, with Mosaic maintaining roughly 90% partner doctor retention and approximately 70% team retention. These outcomes are supported by structured onboarding, clear career pathways, and leadership development for doctors, office managers, and regional leaders. Associate doctors are not treated as labor inputs, but as future partners, leaders, and operators.

Clinical entrepreneurship is anchored by Mosaic’s National Clinical Advisory Board, which aligns on clinical philosophy, evaluates new services through a patient-care lens, and mentors doctors across the organization. This leadership ecosystem is reinforced through the M1 Symposium, Mosaic’s internal continuing education and peer-learning platform is designed to strengthen both clinical excellence and entrepreneurial leadership.

The group’s name reflects this philosophy. A mosaic is made up of individual pieces, distinct on their own, yet stronger together. Mosaic Dental Collective brings independent practices together under shared standards and systems, without infringing upon what makes each practice unique.

Future Vision

Looking ahead, Mosaic’s long-term vision is intentional and measured. Over the next five years, the group aims to scale thoughtfully toward 100+ locations, expand into adjacent regions, and continue investing in data infrastructure, AI-enabled operations, and leadership development. Growth will remain capacity-aware, return-driven, and people-first.

Mosaic’s guiding mantra reflects its entrepreneurial philosophy: “Rethink the model. Build owners. Earn growth.”

Mosaic Dental Collective’s story is not about speed—it is about stewardship. It is a reminder that in dentistry, the strongest platforms are built by entrepreneurs willing to fix the foundation, elevate greatness, and grow something meant to last.

Key Executives:

Jagdev S. Heir, MD, DMD, FACS – President & CEO
Kevin Hays – Chief Financial Officer
Ryan Torresan – Chief Marketing and Operations Officer
Ross Austin, DDS – Chief Clinical Officer – WA/ID
Gary Ackerman, DDS – Chief Clinical Officer – CA

Background

Oakwood Dental was co-founded in 2004 by Drs. Emanuel Graziano and Anthony Pannone in the Oakwood Heights section of Staten Island, New York. Often referred to as the “Forgotten Borough” of New York City, Staten Island is the community Emanuel and Anthony have called home since childhood. Their ambition was simple: build a practice that served their neighbors with integrity, quality, and compassion.

In 2010, Dr. Mark Ruggeri joined Oakwood as a Partner, helping scale the founding location from its early stages of approximately $800,000 in revenue to over $3.8 million. Today, Oakwood Dental operates nine locations—eight Oakwood facilities as well as Acorn Pediatrics, a pediatric practice established in partnership with Dr. Jason Tesoriero.

The name “Acorn Pediatrics” reflects the idea that acorns grow into oak trees, symbolizing both the practice’s roots in Oakwood Dental and its commitment to nurturing the next generation.

In November 2024, Frank Semo joined the executive team as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Frank previously served as Director of Practice Services for Henry Schein Dental and spent more than eleven years consulting dental practices across North America. His career in dentistry began at Oakwood, where he worked as a dental assistant during college.

Culture and Philosophy

Oakwood’s culture is deeply aligned with its growth strategy—partnering with like-minded individuals who want to serve others and have fun in the process. Embracing the phrase “We’re better together than apart,” Oakwood has solidified its position as a leading provider of dental care in Staten Island, NY, and Central NJ.

A key to Oakwood’s growth is doctor recruitment and retention. While it often poses a challenge, Oakwood has been intentional in recruiting providers that align with the company’s mission, vision, and values.

Once aligned, associates have the autonomy to practice alongside both partners and tenured dentists who serve as mentors, giving associates the confidence they need to strengthen their craft. As they become more established, Oakwood has developed retention systems to professionally and financially motivate providers to grow their practice within the Oakwood domain, leveraging the already established facilities, good-will, and centralized operational resources. A necessary reality for Oakwood is embracing the entrepreneurial mindset of a motivated dentist and creating a platform for them that allows them to flourish and share in the overall success of the business.

Differentiators

Oakwood prides itself on meticulous office design and consistent investment in cutting-edge dental technology. All locations feature CBCT, CAD/CAM, 3D printing, and AI-driven diagnostic tools. Oakwood has also made significant investments in its ‘Speed to Value’ strategy, transitioning to a cloud-based practice management platform, an AI-driven VOIP system, and a customized analytics engine to support strategic growth and decision-making.

While many growing DSOs lose their “mom-and-pop” feel as services centralize and turnover rises, Oakwood is committed to enhancing the staff and patient experience—minimizing administrative burdens at the practice level and empowering staff to build relationships with the patients they serve.

Challenges and Strategic Differentiation

Like most emerging group practices nationwide, Oakwood faces challenges in recruitment, declining payor reimbursement, and rising labor costs. A major strategic initiative for 2026 is payor mix optimization supported by enhanced custom analytics to improve decision making.

With an influx of active patients, Oakwood has taken the approach of being intentional regarding in-network participation and has focused on improving profitability per patient visit. In order to monitor this successfully, Oakwood has implemented customizable analytics software that syncs PMS and accounting data to track both categories on a regular basis. The thought process is to tie production, collections, and budget data together, allowing for a constant view of business health and immediate data access when needed for future acquisitions, entity valuation, and various investment decision.

Giving Back

Oakwood Dental is committed to supporting the communities it serves, particularly the New York City civil servants who make up a significant portion of its patient base, including many members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The organization partners with the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau to participate in community fairs, charitable initiatives, and local outreach events, providing dental education, supporting family activities, and contributing to fundraising efforts.

Giving back is woven into Oakwood’s culture, and the organization remains dedicated to uplifting the families and civil servants who place their trust in its care. During the 2025 holiday season, Oakwood partnered with the NYPD to feed multiple families who would have been without a meal on Thanksgiving. Oakwood also partnered with Toys for Tots and completed a companywide toy drive with donations made by both staff and patients. Philanthropy is an integral value of Oakwoods business and will continue to strengthen in 2026 and beyond.

Successes in 2025 + 2026 Goals

Oakwood intends to acquire two to three practices in 2026 with additional expansion plans in two existing facilities. Same store growth intended to exceed 15% with the addition of new providers, expanded hygiene hours, and focus on soft tissue management across locations.

2025 was a milestone year for Oakwood, highlighted by the following achievements:

Delivered 13% year-over-year production growth, alongside a 10% increase in production per patient visit.
Completed the acquisition of Ramtown Dental Associates, marking Oakwood’s first acquisition; all prior locations were established through de novo growth.
Successfully onboarded 60 new team members (53% clinical, 47% administrative) to support Oakwood’s accelerated and scalable growth model.
Modernized Oakwood’s business and technology infrastructure, enhancing capabilities across practice management software, patient communication, merchant services, VOIP, AI-powered reception and diagnostics, call center operations, revenue cycle management, analytics, marketing, and finance.

Future Growth Plans

The organization currently operates nine locations, with a goal of acquiring a minimum of two practices per year over the next five years, targeting $50 million in revenue at the five-year mark and maintaining a strong EBITDA margin of at least 25%. With current collections of $17.3 million, this growth is considered achievable through a combination of acquisitions and same-store performance. While private equity is not part of immediate plans, the organization remains open to exploring this option if it allows acceleration and the potential to exceed growth targets.

Although this primarily addresses short-term execution, the organization is also focused on developing a hybrid RCM model. This approach will enable locally assigned employees to support the patient billing process in conjunction with the current outsourced vendor partner, who manages all insurance billing.

In 2026, the organization will begin its payor optimization journey. Credentialing will be outsourced, while negotiation will be a key focus. In preparation for a potential exit, the plan is to phase out lower-paying plans, such as local union PPOs, and strategically align locations toward fee-for-service and major PPOs.

Finally, by the end of 2026, the organization aims to have clean, fully accessible financials, supported by regular valuations, positioning it for either a strategic exit or continued expansion over the subsequent five years.

Key Executive Leaders

Anthony Pannone, DDS – Co-Founder & Partner
Emanuel Graziano, DDS – Co-Founder & Partner
Mark Ruggeri, DDS – Partner
Jason Tesoriero, DDS – Partner, Acorn Pediatrics
Frank Semo – Chief Operating Officer