Next-Gen Dentistry: Thriving in a Changing Landscape

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Written by Ryan Hungate DDS, MS, Chief Strategy Officer Henry Schein One

When I first entered the dental industry, it was rare to see a group with three locations—let alone thirty. Today, it’s the opposite. Thanks to technology, scale isn’t just possible, it’s accelerating. The tools we have now will be 10X better in a year and 100X better in two. For group practices, this is a moment to feel emboldened, confident, and bullish about the future.

In the face of economic adversity, though, it feels like a challenge. Patients are more cautious about spending, price pressures are mounting, and confidence is wavering.

Despite that, I’m optimistic. We’re on the brink of solving long-standing challenges, and whether you’re a thriving single location seeking balance or a multi-site practice chasing scale, dentistry is entering a renaissance. Those who recognize this climate as an opportunity will find the greatest success by investing in the technology reshaping the industry.

Frictionless billing

Here’s a stat that should stop you in your tracks: More than half of initially denied claims are paid when pursued.^[1]

Many doctors believe insurance companies don’t want to streamline revenue cycle processes. That might have been true once, but skyrocketing employment costs have forced a shift. Today, payors and providers are both leaning into moving care forward.

Eligibility and reconciliation are among the most critical — and most complex — parts of running a dental practice. When the eligibility workflow is done right, the data should flow seamlessly into your platform, ready when you need it. But solving challenges like eligibility checks, ERA reconciliation, and auto-posting requires automated tools that pull data from multiple sources, clean it up, and standardize it so that everything works together reliably.

Imagine a world where eligibility information is pre-loaded into your PMS before the day begins. No payor portals, no hold music. Claims are reconciled automatically, reason codes post to the ledger, and deposits sync with EOBs. That future is already here, and practices that embrace it will free up significant time and resources.

Turn data into dollars

Big data isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the backbone of modern dentistry. Each year, practices lose an estimated $1–1.5 million from unscheduled or incomplete treatment.^[2]

By analyzing massive data sets, AI can do what humans can’t: catch errors, spot opportunities, and predict outcomes. AI can flag missing procedures on a claim, refile overlooked treatments, and mine old notes to uncover revenue opportunities.

The result? Fewer manual errors, faster reimbursements, and more completed treatment plans.

Efficiency meets excellence

Digital clinical workflows are transforming how practices operate, reducing clicks and giving providers more time for patients.

And just like automated revenue cycle tools, this technology already exists, with some practices already leveraging fully connected workflows where x-rays are captured, AI reviews and flags conditions instantly, and treatment plans are auto-generated based on past care and insurance eligibility. Everything is ready to present to the patient — including financing. From there, the PMS is updated, lab slips are generated, crowns are 3D printed and placed, and payment and insurance are automatically processed.

Dentists can get back to doing what they love most and truly moving care forward.

The Practice of the Future

The next five years will redefine what it means to run a dental practice. Growth will come from smarter operations, stronger accountability, and technology that runs invisibly in the background. Providers will spend less time chasing data and more time connecting with patients.

Technology won’t replace the human touch — it will amplify it. The practices that thrive will embrace change, invest early, and define what great dentistry looks like in a fully connected, patient-first world.

Learn more about how you can improve your practice and patient care through connected technology like this.

[1] The hazards of excessive insurance claim denials | STAT

[2] “Mine” Your Data for Unscheduled Dental Treatment and Increase Your Revenue

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