The Group Dentistry Now Show: The Voice Of The DSO Industry

Lynda Ricketson, President & CEO of Dental Lifeline Network, and Dr. Mark Vitale, President of the NJ Chapter of Dental Lifeline Network and of Dental 365, discuss:

The Mission of Dental Lifeline Network
How DSOs can leverage DLN in their practices’ communities
How DLN makes it easy to for your providers to volunteer
How volunteerism within a dental group increases provider retention
Much more

To get your dental group involved visit – https://dentallifeline.org/group-dentistry/

You can also email Lynda Ricketson – lricketson@dentallifeline.org or Dr. Mark Vitale – mvitale@edisondentalarts.com

If you like our show, please give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on iTunes http://apple.co/2Nejsfa and a 👍 on YouTube.

Our podcast series brings you dental support organization and emerging dental group practice analysis, conversation, trends, news and events. Listen to leaders in the DSO and emerging dental group space talk about their challenges, successes, and the future of group dentistry. The Group Dentistry Now Show: The Voice of the DSO Industry has listeners across North & South America, Australia, Europe, and Asia. If you like our show, tell a friend or a colleague.

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Full Transcript:

Bill Neumann:

I’d like to welcome everyone back to the Group Dentistry Now Show. I’m Bill Neumann. And as always, thanks for listening in or watching us. We certainly appreciate it. I think we’re at about 115 podcasts now. So without your support, we wouldn’t be able to do this. And we’re going to do something a little bit different today. We’re going to talk about an organization that has been around for quite a long time. Some of you may have heard of it, some of you may have been involved or still involved. And we want to get more clinicians involved. More DSOs to understand the value of Dental Lifeline Network.

So this is near and dear to my heart. I’ve been on their board now for, I think it’s about six years. So great organization. And we’re going to talk quite a bit about the organization today. And we have both the CEO, we have Lynda Ricketson here from Dental Lifeline Network, who’s relatively new to the organization, started in February of 2022. And then we have Dr. Mark Vitale, who is, interestingly enough, has been with Dental Lifeline Network, volunteering for 25 years. Is that right, mark?

Dr. Mark Vitale:

At least 25 years.

Bill Neumann:

At least 25 years. And he recently has sold his practice to Dental 365. So he is now part of the DSO community. So we’ll talk a little bit about that. Why he made the move, and what that’s been like. But Lynda, if you wouldn’t mind taking a couple minutes to talk about your background.

Lynda Ricketson:

Sure. I come from the nonprofit sector. I’ve had the privilege of serving in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years, mostly with community foundations. I’ve been a fundraiser, I’ve been a grant maker, been a program developer, and am thrilled to have joined Dental Lifeline Network earlier this year.

Bill Neumann:

That’s great. Thanks Lynda. Dr. Vitale.

Dr. Mark Vitale:

Oh, first of all, thank you, Bill, for the opportunity. Thanks Lynda, for inviting me to join you today to do this podcast. So I’m a practicing dentist. I’m a general dentist in Edison, New Jersey. I’ve been in practice for about 40 years. I have been involved in a whole variety of leadership positions in the profession. Everything from being a director of residency program, to being on the board of a hospital, the board of an insurance company. I’m past president of the New Jersey Dental Association. And currently I chair the New Jersey Dental Political Action Committee here in New Jersey. And I’m the president of the New Jersey chapter of Dental Lifeline Network.

Bill Neumann:

And you got involved pretty early on with Dental Lifeline Network. So before we get into your experience, Mark, with Dental Lifeline Network, Lynda, can you tell the audience what exactly Dental Lifeline Network is? And maybe a little bit of a history. And then just I guess start there, history, and then what is DLN?

Lynda Ricketson:

Sure. Happy to. Dental Lifeline Network was started 46 years ago in response to a lack of access to oral healthcare for disabled individuals. Our flagship program donated dental services, or DDS, beginning 1985. And provides comprehensive oral health treatment for individuals who are disabled, elderly, or medically fragile and have no other access to care. And amongst those populations are many veterans who aren’t eligible for care through the Veterans Administration. Since its inception, DDS has served over 167,000 patients, and more than $550 million worth of donated dental treatment. This lifesaving and life-changing care is made possible through the generosity of over 13,000 volunteer dentists, like Dr. Vitale, and over 3000 labs that donate fabrications and other materials necessary for the care.

Bill Neumann:

Dr. Vitale, talk about the reason you joined 25 years ago. What was the and what was the reason behind that?

Dr. Mark Vitale:

Well, 25, well, going back to early in my career. Being involved with a medical center that had a dental clinic, and being the director of the residency program at that clinic, I was exposed to a population of individuals that for the most part didn’t have access to good oral healthcare. And in New Jersey, the Medicaid system is fair to say is broken because of the low fee reimbursement. So dentists don’t participate. That left more people knocking at the door of these FQHCs, and clinical facilities at hospitals, trying to find dental care. During the course of this, I got involved in organized dentistry. This was at the Middlesex County Dental Society in New Jersey. And several of my colleagues, older colleagues, who are mentors of mine, started talking about Dental Lifeline Network. So I looked into it and I decided to sign up.

So I’ve been participating well over 25 years. My partner, myself, my associates, see several patients a year. It’s something that we have found very rewarding. And as a leader in organized dentistry, my big concern is access to care. We always talk about access to care. And we all know, too, that at least 50% of the population doesn’t go to the dentist. Either because of finances, fear, location, lack of education. And Dental Lifeline Network, I think, does a great job in filling in the blanks and helping those individuals that have those challenges in getting the oral healthcare they need.

And I’ve got to tell you, I’ve been treating a number of patients over the years. They’re definitely the most appreciative individuals I’ve ever met in my life. It’s just fun to do it. We’ve gotten more dentists involved, we’ve gotten laboratories involved. And it’s something I find challenging, and something I want to help Lynda move forward, and expand the network that we have.

Bill Neumann:

So how easy is it to actually get involved? I mean, that’s one of the things I think could be a barrier to Dentists. Even thinking about they want to give back, but they’re worried about either the time that it’s going to take, or just not really sure how to go about doing it. So talk to me about the ease of getting in involved from your perspective, Dr. Vitale.

Dr. Mark Vitale:

On the screen behind me is the Dental Lifeline Network website. And there’s a button there you push to become a volunteer dentist. So it’s that simple. Each state has coordinators within the state who then contact the dentists. And then will explain the process, explain the screening process, and assign patients to the dentist. There isn’t much the dentist has to do. The dentist provides the pro bono care. The patient is given restrictions. They cannot just make appointments and cancel appointments. They have to show up. So they are monitored in that sense.

So I can tell you it’s been a good experience, in a sense. The patients come in, they make their appointments, they show up for their appointments. They appreciate the time and efforts that’s being put into giving them good oral healthcare. There’s not much that the dentist has to do. And DLN doesn’t ask you to see dozens of patients. They ask each dentist to see one to two patients a year. Which, if a dentist is concerned about finances, it’s really not anything. When you look at the overall aspect of what it costs, it really costs me nothing. I’m there in the office, my staff’s there in the office. And by the way, we have a network of laboratories at Dental Lifeline Network that provide free care for us, free services for us. So I think it’s a win-win situation for the organization, for the doctors, and for the patients.

Bill Neumann:

Great. That’s awesome. And we’ll make sure we drop a link to the website in the show notes, and you’ll have access to that for sure. All right, back to you Lynda. I’d like to talk a little bit about how the organization maybe has changed over the years. I mean, COVID certainly has had an impact on everything. It’s had an impact on DLN, as well. And then some of the recent industry changes, I think on top of that, have really kind of made Dental Lifeline Network pivot a little bit.

Lynda Ricketson:

Yeah, COVID has certainly been tough on everybody, and including everybody in dentistry. We personally have experienced a diminishing number of volunteer dentists and labs. Many volunteers are retiring or selling their practices, just like Dr. Vitale did. And they’re also experiencing staffing issues within their dental practices. We’ve had experiences where dentists are picking up their own phones these days. So it’s just become harder for us to access the dentists directly.

Bill Neumann:

So your point is well taken about clinicians either retiring, possibly selling, to a DSO. So that leads into really, Mark recently sold his practice to Dental 365. So I’d love to take a couple of minutes to talk about your thought process there. Why you decided to partner with a DSO, and then why Dental 365, and what that journey’s been like.

Dr. Mark Vitale:

Sure. You have to go back at least five years. Five years ago, I was approached by several DSOs. And we had discussions, and I started to learn about the process. I learned what a dental support organization was. Prior to that, DSO was a very bad word in New Jersey among dentists. It was in many states, but New Jersey was certainly behind the time on when it came to a discussion on DSOs. So we had these discussions with various companies. And then COVID hit. When COVID hit, obviously all discussions stopped. And during COVID, I happened to purchase two more practices, that I merged into my practice. COVID ended, and two of the companies, one of them being Dental 365, came back and said, “Hey Mark, we saw you grew during COVID while everyone else was closed.” I said, “Yeah, well, we were able to sustain the practice. We had to help out the hospital that was across the street from us. And I had two friends that retired and they just wanted to provide their patients with quality care. So we assumed their patients.”

So needless to say, Dental 365 and one other company came back and started making offers. We started negotiating deals. And I decided, with my partner, on Dental 365 after meeting Scott Asnis and the rest of his team, to go with their company. Because as a dentist operated company, it was focused on customer service and quality oral healthcare. I can tell you since we joined them seven months ago, they have not interfered with the quality of the clinical care in my practice whatsoever. My partner, myself, my associates do whatever we want to do in maintaining the same high quality care that we always have had. And it became a good avenue for me.

Now, when you talk about DSOs, people say to me, “Well Mark, what purpose do they serve?” Now, I have learned more about this over the last four years. I was the chair of the Council of Government Affairs for the American Dental Association. And of course, one of the big things at the ADA right now is conversations with the DSOs, and figuring out where we can partner. My area of expertise happens to be dental insurance reform. And that’s something the DSOs are interested in. The ADA is interested in talking to the DSOs about membership growth.

So we’re having these conversations at the ADA, and as we’re having these conversations, I’m saying to myself, “Huh, now this is something that I need to focus on for myself also.” And that’s what I used to convince myself and my partner, as I’m approaching retirement age, I needed a way to get out. My practice was too large and worth too much money for one or two young dentists to come in and buy me out. And we decided to go the route of a dental support organization, in particular 365. Because we felt they would allow us to maintain the practice as we built it. They assumed our brand. And I think it served a great purpose for my partner and I, giving us an exit plan.

It also served a great purpose for my associate. Because as a young dentist, she wanted guaranteed income. She didn’t want to work the 60-hour weeks that I worked 30 years ago. She wants to work that 24 to 26 hour week. She wants to have her vacation. She wants to leave at 5:30. And she wants a good income. The dental support organizations offer that. It’s something that would be harder for me to offer as an employer. So in a nutshell, that’s basically why we went the way we went.

Bill Neumann:

So you’re volunteering for DLN, and all of a sudden you partner up with Dental 365. Do you continue on volunteering? And what is Dental 365’s thought on you being part of DLN?

Dr. Mark Vitale:

So I called Scott Asnis. I said, “Scott, do you know anything about Dental Lifeline Network?” And he knew about it vaguely. And I said, “Look, Paul and I have been volunteering for this organization for years. It’s something I’m committed to.” And I said, “In fact, recently I was elected president of the New Jersey chapter, so it’s something I have to do. What do you think?” And he said, “Well, let’s set up a meeting with them, talk to them.” But he said, “We’re interested in doing pro bono work, we’re interested in volunteering.” And when I mentioned that DLN has a vets program, or is helping vets, he, himself, has his own vets program that he’s been doing. So it was a good match. So about a month or so ago, Lynda, I believe, we had a meeting with the folks from 365, and they’re working out a relationship that I think would be very beneficial for 365 and for DLN.

Bill Neumann:

Well, that’s great to hear. Because Lynda alluded to it earlier, you have some clinicians that have sold to DSOs and they haven’t stayed on. And so that, because for whatever reason, we don’t know. They might have something else going on, or they feel like they can’t get the approval that they need to do that. So I think one of the big benefits to Dental Lifeline Network, and we could talk about all of the benefits for the individual clinician. But I think for the DSO, one thing is if you don’t have anything right now, you’re not giving back to the community in some fashion.

Maybe your clinicians are doing that, but you’re not, as an organization. I think, if you look at it just from the branding perspective, take away how it makes people feel good, the patients and the clinicians. But it’s also great for the DSO, because younger clinicians coming in, it’s not just about clocking in and clocking out. It’s about, “Hey, how are we giving back to our community? What are we doing as an organization? I want to be part of something bigger.”

So I think younger clinicians coming in from the DSOs perspective, you have these coordinators. So it’s not like there’s a heavy lift for the organization. It’s not like, well, we have to have people do all of these things and we don’t have them. No, DLN can do that. So I think it makes a lot of sense, and it’s just kind of interesting that I think more DSOs probably just don’t understand how it works. So I’d love to talk maybe a little bit more, Lynda, about the coordinator and how they get involved. Because Dr. Vitale touched on that. And I think it’s really important for these organizations to understand that they’re not going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting.

Lynda Ricketson:

Our motto really is to make it as easy as possible for the dentists. And our coordinators will intake the patients. They make sure that they show up for appointments, they follow them through the treatment plan and help them to coordinate with oral surgeons, or any other specialists that need to be involved in the case. And so they manage all of that. And obviously, if a specific dentist likes a specific oral surgeon or whatnot, we make sure that we develop that relationship with them.

So the case managers are our front line. They really do most of the work. They’re terrific. And to your point about the social responsibility aspect, with corporate dentistry, the rise of corporate social responsibility is everywhere. And so being involved with DLN, and encouraging offices and dentists to see one patient through our DDS program, like I said, we make it as easy as possible.

And we’re sort of a plug and play CSR strategy for some of these corporate dental practices. And to Dr. Vitale’s point, our relationship that we’re working on with Dental 365, we’ve discovered that a lot of the dentists within that group practice have already been active volunteers for us. We have relationships with other DSOs as well. We have a good relationship with Pacific Dental. They have a specific time period of year where they like to see patients. Plum in Rhode Island has also been a terrific partner for us. So we’re really able to pivot and try to be a little bit more flexible, so that what we offer can be a little customized for the DSO, so it’s relevant for them.

Bill Neumann:

I’d love to understand, so Dental Lifeline… And I understand, but the audience need needs to. So is this across all 50 states? Or if so, if I’m in a certain area, would I have access to a coordinator if I was in Arkansas or California? What does that look like?

Lynda Ricketson:

Absolutely. We are in all 50 states. And we are able to work across even geographic boundaries. We have the coordinators work together. Sometimes people live close to the boundary of the states. So they work together to make sure that those patients are served. And we can, like I said, any state.

Bill Neumann:

Dr. Vitale touched on it a little bit. There’s the veteran aspect of Dental Lifeline Network giving back to vets, and then there’s also the underserved. Can we talk a little bit about the different types of patients that one may see if they sign up and volunteer for Dental Lifeline Network, Dr. Vitale?

Dr. Mark Vitale:

Sure. Just everyone that I have met is medically compromised in one way or another. Every individual that I’ve met cannot afford to go to a proper practicing dentist and receive the care that they need. Most of the individuals that I have met are not educated on oral healthcare. And again, that’s a common problem nationwide. That is one of the reasons why people don’t go to the dentist. Because they don’t understand the connection between the oral cavity and the rest of their body.

So these individuals that I’m seeing are educated at some point, whether they’re seeing marketing, or whether someone tells them about DLN. I’m not always sure where they learned about DLN. I like to think it’s from the marketing that is being brought about by DLN through the State Dental Associations. I mean, that’s how I learned about it. And I think that’s where most patients learned about it, is through the state dental associations when we do our marketing. But the individuals that I’ve seen are certainly individuals that would’ve gotten lost in the cracks in the system, in the state of New Jersey, and would not have received the oral healthcare that they really should get.

Bill Neumann:

So Lynda, how can more DSOs get involved? And when I say DSO, maybe I should, let me explain a little bit what I mean by that. So we’re not talking, you don’t have to be as big as a Dental 365 or a Pacific Dental. You could be an emerging dental group that has three to five locations. This program really works for all sizes and shapes of group practice and DSO out there. And I think it’s really beneficial, again, for somebody that doesn’t necessarily have anything set up right now. Or even in Pacific Dental’s case, where they do have the Pacific Dental Foundation. So they already have a structured philanthropic arm, and they still partner with Dental Lifeline Network in giving back in that way as well.

So it’s a great cause. And more and more people, it seems like, have less access to care now than ever before. And I just think more of these DSOs, dentists that are coming out of dental school, are looking for something beyond just the nine to five job. They really want more to, it’s that life work balance, they want that. But then, they’re also just not interested in clocking in and clocking out. They’re like, “Hey, this is what our organization is doing. They want to give back.” So let’s talk a little bit about how DSOs can get involved, Lynda.

Lynda Ricketson:

Sure. Partnering with DLN is super easy. And in addition to helping change lives, partnering with DLN provides many other benefits. Like I said, we make it easy. And partnering with DLN gives not only the dentist, but the hygienist and the office staff, an opportunity to participate in giving back. It really is a differentiator when you have talent issues and they’re looking between your practice and another practice. If you have a philanthropic component, it’s really helpful for your business. And we can work partner, and talk with the variety of DSOs and ask them what they’re hoping to accomplish in the philanthropic world, and how they’re hoping to do that. And we can use our program to make sure that it maximizes the goals for them, while also serving our patients.

Bill Neumann:

Great. Great point there, Lynda, I think that that’s one thing that you can almost customize, a program that meets the needs of a DSO, based on what they’re looking to do in the community. Dr. Vitale, just kind of curious, you’re going to continue on with your volunteer work. It sounds like Dental 365 is going to get together in a bigger way. Do you have any thoughts around this for maybe some other clinicians that haven’t been involved with DLN, or are part of a DSO, and for whatever reason haven’t worked with the organization?

Dr. Mark Vitale:

Well, a couple of thoughts. With Dental Lifeline Network, obviously I’ve been doing it for years. I do it because I really enjoy doing it. I can tell you, my colleagues that participate do it for the same reason. But a message that I always give to my colleagues when we talk about Dental Lifeline Network, and again, this is the government affairs protocol action part of me speaking. When I walk into a legislator’s office, I’m the rich dentist and every dentist that watches this podcast is the rich dentist. And the first thing out of their mouth, before I ask them to support a piece of legislation is, “So Dr. Vitale, what are you and your colleagues doing for the community these days?”

And my first answer is Dental Lifeline Network. And that goes a long way. And at the end of the day, we may not be the rich dentist. But we do very well, and people know we do well. And we have an obligation to serve the public. And we have an obligation to give back. And Dental Lifeline Network gives that opportunity to just, for self-satisfaction, for taking care of the patients, and in the public eye, it’s just good PR. So I don’t understand why anyone would not want to do it. And if someone works for a dental support organization like 365, and they’re supporting it, why wouldn’t you do it? It seems pretty simple to me. If I’m seeing thousands of patients a year, what’s the big deal about taking some time out for one more patient, or two more patients?

Bill Neumann:

Absolutely. So Lynda, any final thoughts?

Lynda Ricketson:

Sure. I mean, if you’re interested in learning more, you can contact me, or you can go to dentallifeline.org/groupdentistry, and we’re happy to partner in any way possible. And also consider supporting us, whether it’s through monetary contributions or volunteering to take one or two patients a year.

Bill Neumann:

Lynda, can you just shout out your email address? Some people just, a lot of people will watch this, and we’ll drop it in the show notes, but just if anybody’s just listening.

Lynda Ricketson:

Sure. It’s lricketson@dentallifeline.org. That’s L-R-I-C-K-E-T-S-O-N@dentallifeline.org.

Bill Neumann:

Okay. And again, we’ll make sure we drop that in the show notes. I think that’s about it. I just wanted to say thank you to both of you. And again, I’ve been involved at the board level. And what the organization’s been doing for so long has been really impactful. And to hear the stories, it’s amazing. And I hope our audience, there’s some group practices out there that have been looking for a solution. Maybe didn’t have the bandwidth to put something together themselves. Well, again, I kind of look at Dental Lifeline Network as the easy button, with the coordinators, that he couldn’t be much easier.

Dr. Vitale talked about that. You just go online, dentallifelinenetwork.org, and register, and you’re a volunteer. So it’s pretty simple. So that’s about it. We’re going to drop Lynda’s email address dentallifelinenetwork.org/groupdentistry, that URL, in the show notes as well. You can reach out to me personally. You can email me bill@groupdentistrynow.com, and I can tell you all about it as well. So there’s no excuse. You have multiple ways to reach out and find out more.

So Dr. Vitale, Lynda, thanks so much for being a part of the show today. And until next time, I’m Bill Neumann, and this is the Group Dentistry Now show. Appreciate it.