Lasting Impressions | Fall 2017

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 15 14 © NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Mario Laska, D.M.D., had practiced dentistry in Mexico for years before being accepted into the College of Dental Medicine International Program. After graduating with honors in 2004, he began practicing in the United States, first at his own private practice and then at a multispecialty private practice in Deerfield Beach. Although Laska wasn’t looking for anything new, an opportunity presented itself when he was invited to attend a special meeting at the Irvine, California, headquarters of Pacific Dental Services (PDS)— one of the largest dental support organizations (DSO) in the United States. “I was really impressed with what PDS was offering,” Laska said. “Dentists were doing incredible things with the company’s support.” DSOs such as Pacific Dental are growing rapidly across the country to support dentists, who, like other medical professionals, are under pressure to operate efficiently and control costs. The DSO models vary greatly in size, scope of services offered, and culture. But they share a common goal: to support dentists with the increasingly complex busi- ness side of a dental practice. The DSOs often relieve dentists of the burdens of administrative support services, such as billing, accounting, payroll, advertising, ordering supplies, repairing equipment, training, and hiring nonclinical staff. Laska quickly decided to become a PDS-supported associate dentist, with the goal of becoming an owner den- tist. It proved to be “far easier and less expensive to launch Davie Modern Dentistry last year with PDS’s help than to establish a practice on my own,” he said. “You need a lot of money, and it takes a long time to build a practice.” PDS, which supports more than 1,600 dentists in more than 590 dental practices across 17 states, scouted a location, helped design the space, brought in dental equipment, hired a manager support team, and handled many of the other details associated with opening a new office. “They do absolutely everything to support the business of the practice,” Laska said. “I do my dentistry and go home.” Davie Modern Dentistry, located at University Drive and Stirling Road in Davie, about two miles south of NSU’s Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus, “is really growing,” Laska said. “The practice is gaining at least six new patients a day.” An oral surgeon recently joined the practice, and he expects to soon have an endodon- tist and periodontist in the office. One aspect that differentiates PDS from the competition is the opportunity for dentists to own their practices. Owner dentists decide whom they will hire as general practitioners or specialists. The dentists make all clinical decisions, with PDS having no role in what treatment a patient will receive. Laska is not alone in finding the model attractive. Newly graduated dentists may be burdened with stu- dent debt and facing the prospect of spending $800,000 or more to open their own practice. An affiliation with companies such as Pacific Dental Services cuts that cost substantially. Ross Stokes, D.D.S., who owned a traditional private practice in Utah for 24 years, said it would cost more than $1 million to launch his practice in today’s market. After relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada, he became an owner dentist supported by PDS for far less. “I have all the new technology. Every- thing is new,” said the PDS-supported owner dentist. “It has been a blessing in my life.” PDS is expanding rapidly, includ- ing in Florida. Launched in 1994, it was only supporting 20 offices in DENTAL SERVICES MAKE PRACTICING EASIER BY MARY HLADKY Finding Support Mario Laska, left, discusses the day’s sched- ule with regional Denovo and development manager Kayla Wheatley and office manager Patricio Ramirez at his clinic in Davie, Florida.