4 DSOs Named to Newsweek’s ‘America’s Greatest Workplaces in Healthcare 2025’ List

DSO Spotlight

The America’s Greatest Workplaces in Healthcare ranking is an annual recognition by Newsweek and Plant‑A Insights Group, spotlighting organizations that prioritize a positive employee experience across all facets of healthcare—from hospitals to community providers, including dental-support organizations. Companies underwent evaluation through employee surveys (spanning thousands of voices) and analysis of diversity, culture, and public reputation, plus desk research.

Heralding a bright future for workplace excellence in dental care, Newsweek’s recognition underscores a rising tide of employee-first leadership in dentistry—one that benefits practitioners, their teams, and, ultimately, the health of patients across America.

The selection process for America’s Greatest Workplaces 2025 involved an extensive survey of over 150,000 employees and analysis of over 3.3 million company reviews. The Newsweek award celebrates organizations with exceptional employee satisfaction, benefits, advancement opportunities, and workplace culture.

How Newsweek Measures Greatness

Newsweek’s ranking methodology spans five rigorous phases:

1. Assessing publicly available data.

2. Interviewing HR professionals.

3. Conducting large-scale confidential employee surveys.

4. Utilizing desk research—including diversity, executive reviews, and public sentiment.

5. Applying strict validation for scoring and ranking

The evaluation encompasses key metrics like training opportunities, progression paths, benefits, culture, and work‑life balance. Out of more than 1.5 million companies assessed, only the most employee-centered organizations emerged on the list.

Three major dental-support organizations—Deca Dental, Sage Dental, Smile Doctors and Heartland Dental—have earned top honors, emphasizing their leadership in fostering exceptional workplace environments within the dental sector.

Heartland Dental

Heartland Dental, is the nation’s largest dental support organization, employing over 20,000 team members and provides non-clinical administrative services to over 3,000 doctors in over 1,800 locations across 39 states and the District of Columbia.

“It is extremely rewarding to be recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces in Healthcare,” said Pat Bauer, President and CEO of Heartland Dental. “This honor reflects our commitment to creating an environment where our team members can thrive—both personally and professionally, while working hard, smart and together toward our mission to support dentists and their teams as they deliver the highest quality dental care and experiences to the communities they serve. We’re proud to be a company that prioritizes meaningful work and growth opportunities with a doctor-led culture rooted in our vision, mission, and core values.”

Smile Doctors

Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Smile Doctors stands as the largest orthodontic support organization (OSO) in the U.S., with over 550 locations across 36 states. Co-founded by Dr. Scott Law, Dr. Dana Fender, and Dr. Greg Goggans, Smile Doctors secured significant expansion capital in a $550 million+ financing round led by Thomas H. Lee Partners in early 2022, propelling the network’s growth from around 295 practices to its current scale.

The company has also embraced a de‑novo development strategy and introduced a joint-venture partnership model, allowing affiliated orthodontists to maintain local ownership while benefiting from Smile Doctors’ centralized resources. Under the leadership of CEO J. Hedrick, Smile Doctors continues to leverage its de novo strategy and people-first culture to fuel strategic expansion.

DECA Dental

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Deca Dental is a clinician-founded and clinician-led DSO led by Dr. Sulman Ahmed, Founder and CEO. Under his leadership, Deca has built a coast-to-coast presence through its rapidly growing network of practices operating under the Ideal Dental brand. Ideal Dental has locations in Texas (106), Arizona (2), Florida (20), Georgia (7), Tennessee (6), North Carolina (2), Colorado (1), Washington (4) and South Carolina (2).

The organization is known for its patient-centric model and strong emphasis on clinical autonomy, training, and growth. With 1K-2.5 K employees, Deca has experienced approximately 7% headcount growth over the past year, highlighting its strong trajectory in both talent acquisition and practice expansion. Their annual revenue is estimated in $100M–$1B range.

Sage Dental

Why This Recognition Matters

• Attracting and retaining talent: This status helps the firms attract dentists, hygienists, administrators, and support staff driven by environments that invest in them.

• Strengthening patient care: A motivated and supported workforce leads to better, more compassionate patient experiences.

• Solidifying leadership: In a field dominated by large hospital systems and health networks, DSOs’ inclusion signals a paradigm shift toward workplace-centric excellence in dentistry.

The Path Forward

With this accolade, Deca Dental, Smile Doctors, Sage Dental, and Heartland Dental are poised to set new industry benchmarks. Their approach—anchored in professional growth, balance, and purpose—offers a compelling model for dental-care leadership. As these organizations continue nurturing their teams, they not only better their internal culture but also enrich the communities they serve through improved oral health outcomes.

Smile Doctors, Deca Dental, Sage Dental, and Heartland Dental—congratulations on setting the standard for America’s dental workplaces!

Source: Newsweek