DSO Spotlight
Recent announcements from Heartland Dental, Specialized Dental Partners and EKOS Dental Group put three numbers in focus: 2,000, 200 and 20. Heartland has reached 2,000 supported offices, Specialized has celebrated its 200th partnership, and EKOS has announced its 20th practice.
Together, the milestones offer a snapshot of DSO growth at different scales. They connect a group expanding within Florida, a national specialty organization and a DSO supporting thousands of offices across the country. Each is building a larger network, with its own approach to supporting the practices that join.
Heartland Dental Reaches 2,000 Supported Offices
Heartland Dental, the nation’s largest dental support organization, has reached 2,000 supported dental offices, marking a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to expanding access to its doctor-led culture and support model nationwide.
The milestone builds on decades of growth rooted in a simple idea: doctors should retain full clinical discretion over patient care and be able to focus on delivering high-quality dental care, with access to world-class business and administrative support behind them. Heartland Dental began with a single dental practice and has grown to support practices across 38 states and the District of Columbia. Across its 2,000 supported offices, Heartland Dental supports over 10,000 doctors and hygienists.
“Reaching 2,000 supported offices is exciting because it represents more doctors and teams with access to support that helps them build successful practices, serve patients and make a difference in their communities,” said Pat Bauer, President and CEO of Heartland Dental. “As we grow, we remain committed to our mission of supporting doctors and their teams so they can deliver the highest quality dental care and experiences to the communities they serve.”
Through Heartland Dental University (HDU), supported doctors and team members have access to extensive education and development opportunities. Year to date in 2026, HDU offered 1,542 continuing education courses, with 118,389 courses completed.
Heartland Dental has built its supported footprint through a multi-mode growth strategy that includes collaborating with supported practices to open de novo offices in growing, high-need markets while also affiliating with established solo practices, groups and DSOs whose doctors also share Heartland Dental’s commitment to a doctor-led culture.
“Our growth strategy has never been about growth for growth’s sake. It is about expanding access to a support model that helps doctors and teams thrive, whether through building new practices in growing communities or welcoming established practices that share our values. There is tremendous opportunity ahead to continue growing responsibly and bring Heartland Dental support to even more doctors,” said Mark Greenstein, EVP and Chief Growth Officer of Heartland Dental.
Year to date in 2026, Heartland Dental has added more than 106 supported offices, including 55 de novo practices. Strategic affiliations, including the affiliation with Foundation Dental Partners, expanded Heartland Dental’s doctor-led culture and support model to 51 additional supported offices.
As Heartland Dental moves beyond 2,000 supported offices, the company remains focused on strengthening the infrastructure, technology, learning opportunities and administrative services available to supported doctors and teams, while continuing to preserve the doctor-led culture and support model that has been central to the organization throughout its growth.
Specialized Dental Partners Marks 200 Partnerships
Specialized Dental Partners is marking its 200th partnership and reports a presence in 37 states with more than 450 doctors. Its milestone follows an expansion in both geographic reach and clinical focus.
Their story began in 2018 with the founding of US Endo Partners, the nation’s first dental service organization dedicated exclusively to endodontists. As they grew, so did their community. They introduced the Vision Summit as a dedicated opportunity for doctors to come together, build relationships, exchange ideas, and help shape our future. The first Vision Summit was held in Grapevine, Texas, in September 2021 and established a tradition that continues to strengthen connections across our network.
That same year, Specialized Dental Partners completed a recapitalization that allowed for nearly full partner ownership, further reinforcing their belief that doctors should have a meaningful voice and stake in the organization they are helping to build.
In 2022, they launched Specialized Podcast as another way to elevate specialist perspectives, share clinical and leadership insights, and create conversations around the future of specialty dentistry.
A pivotal new chapter began in early 2023 when the specialty DSO expanded beyond endodontics. Through a partnership with Cameo Dental Specialists, periodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons joined our growing network. In September of that year, US Endo Partners officially became Specialized Dental Partners, a name that reflected an expanding community and broader vision for specialty dental care.
By 2024, the group had grown to include more than 400 dental specialists. Their next chapter of growth focused not only on adding practices, but on bringing specialties together in new ways. Through the development of integrated care locations, they began creating environments where endodontists, periodontists, and other specialists could collaborate more closely, enhancing both the provider and patient experience. Early success in Arizona and Texas established a foundation for continued expansion, creating momentum for integrated care across our broader network. The group also entered their 36th state and moved into an expanded Support Services office in Franklin, Tennessee.
In 2026, the growing group expanded into the 37th state and reached their 200th partnership. They also continued advancing one of the most ambitious initiatives to date: reimagining how specialty dentistry is delivered through integrated care. As additional locations brought endodontists, periodontists, and other specialists together under one roof, they demonstrated the power of a more collaborative model. Each partnership has its own history, culture, and connection to the community it serves.
From a first-of-its-kind endodontic organization to a multidisciplinary network spanning 37 states and over 2,500 teammates, including 450+ doctors, our growth has remained rooted in the same principle: partnership should empower specialists to imagine more for their practices, their patients, and their profession.
EKOS Dental Group Adds Its 20th Practice
EKOS Dental Group announced Modern Dentists of Deltona Lakes as its 20th practice on October 20. The addition expands the Florida-based group’s presence in Volusia County and brings an established Deltona practice into its network.
EKOS was founded in mid-2022 by Dr. Sean Tomalty with the aspiration of building a dental brand that advocates connection and community and an unmatched workplace for all providers and staff. The founding members chose the name EKOS for their group as it means “home” in ancient Greek, reflecting on their foundational principle of creating a dental home for all.
Their carefully constructed patient care protocol has resulted in over 5,000 positive Google reviews and a thriving network of 30,000 active patients across 18 locations.
The group, which was a Group Dentistry Now Emerging Group to Watch in 2025, is guided by a strong commitment to their ‘blueprint to success,’ which are values tightly held by their leadership team that center around the concept of the dental home.
By encouraging its dentists and dental teams to operate like cohesive family units, the dental group fosters a sense of collaboration and unity. They advocate for quarterly team-building activities outside the office to strengthen bonds among practice employees. Furthermore, they organize engaging social media challenges throughout the year to inspire friendly competition, offering unique opportunities not typically available in private practices.
What the Milestones Show
Viewed together, these announcements illustrate several routes to expansion. Heartland is combining new offices with affiliations, Specialized is broadening a network of dental specialists, and EKOS is developing its presence within a single state.
For DSO leaders, the comparison raises a practical question about the next stage of growth: What support needs to be in place before another practice joins? The answer depends on the organization’s geography, clinical mix and the needs of the incoming team.
A milestone provides a useful point to assess that work. Beyond the headline number, operators can examine how they onboard practices, coordinate technology, recruit staff and maintain relationships with doctors. Those questions remain relevant whether the latest announcement involves 20 practices, 200 partnerships or 2,000 supported offices.
