| | SEPTEMBER 20238UTLOOKHealthcare Tech IN MY OPINIONAdam Burr is currently serving as the Chief Dental Officer at Elite Dental Partners where he is responsible for providing high-level leadership, collaboration, and expertise in all requisite areas needed to operate a dental management organization. He is specialized in clinician engagement, education development and implementation, and establishing patient-focused procedural and operational initiatives across the organization. With a vision to improve dentistry, he works in building other dentists, hygienists, and their teams in a manner that enhances their ability to treat patients effectively. He was also involved in working with dental students to improve their chances of succeeding in their careers starting on day one after graduation.While interacting with your clients, what are the challenges and trends existing in the marketplace and how is it impacting the space?Dentistry, like all industries, is going through a continual and rapid transformation. As this change occurs, there are emerging trends and challenges that will have a direct effect on dental practices. COVID-19 hit dentistry with a force never felt before; employment in dentistry has seen a sharp drop in the last couple of years. Practices are short-staffed. This is why the demands and needs of clinical providers have also increased in terms of their wages and salaries. Dental candidates are making decisions based on the quality of support, programs, and technologies used in an organization. Elite Dental Partners is striving hard to be at the top of its game in terms of support and service offerings. We're shifting from the old models where hygiene schedules are blocked per hour based on per patient, but rather they're becoming more flexible. We're adding additional hygiene or support staff to help them be more efficient as they run through their day.Another major challenge is keeping up with the latest technology. With the advancement of new technology, it's daunting at the same time to decide which technology to integrate into the practices' system depending on the core IoT infrastructures that are built.With all these potential transformations and disruptions, how do you envision the future of the space? DSOs are part of the dental profession. In recent years they have been growing and will continue to grow for many years to come. However, while it's unknown at this time what percentage of practices will come under the DSO-style umbrella, private practice is still alive and will continue.Admittedly, DSOs do offer advantages. They have strong marketing power that can benefit several affiliated practices in a geographic area. They have the purchasing power to procure supplies, materials, equipment, and technology at a lower cost. Some DSOs even have in-house training and offer multiple specialty services.For independent private practice dentists, DSOs represent a legitimate competitive factor that has emerged in dentistry in recent years. However, there are many opportunities for dental practices to address DSOs, including joining buying groups, participating in study clubs for continuing education, hiring expert trainers, and attending clinical institutes.Delivering Quality Dental Service with Advanced TechnologyAn Interview With Adam Burr, Chief Dental Officer, Elite Dental Partners
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