Who’s Really Winning in Dentistry? How Private Practice Can Compete with Corporate Dentistry

Who’s Really Winning in Dentistry? How Private Practice Can Compete with Corporate Dentistry

If you're preparing to open your own dental practice, you're probably feeling the weight of a very real question:

Can private practice still thrive in the age of corporate dentistry?

Spoiler: Yes, it absolutely can—but only if you prepare the right way.

Every week, I speak with dentists who are caught in the middle of this tension. They’re passionate about ownership. They want autonomy, legacy, and the chance to build something personal. But then they see DSO billboards pop up across town and wonder if they’re too late to the game.

Let’s set the record straight: Private practice isn’t dying—it’s evolving. And those who understand the landscape can position themselves for tremendous success.

How to Thrive in the Shadow of Corporate Dentistry

In this Ideal Practices podcast episode, we tackle the corporate vs private practice debate head-on.

And we don’t just vent. We lay out a six-part strategy any private practice dentist can use to stay competitive—even dominant—no matter the market conditions.

This isn’t theory. It’s the playbook we’ve developed after guiding 900+ successful practices through startup and ownership.

Inside the Episode, You’ll Learn:

• A simple case study that unpacks a big industry topic in plain terms

• The 6-part strategy every private practice should be working from

• How to reduce PPO pressure and set yourself up for long-term control

• Why startup practices may actually be better positioned than ever

• What types of hype and headlines you can ignore

• Real strategies for Fee-for-Service and PPO hybrids

• Where to go for more resources (including our private articles and book)

The Bottom Line: You Don’t Have to Choose “Small” to Stay Independent

Private practice dentists have something corporate groups can never replicate: real relationships, authentic leadership, and a vision that isn’t driven by shareholders.

But here's the key—you can’t out-muscle corporate groups. You have to out-strategize them. And that means owning your positioning, your patient experience, your team culture, and your marketing.

This Episode Will Give You a Fresh Lens

Dentistry is changing. But if you're opening a practice in today’s market, you can either panic about that fact—or you can embrace it with preparation and clarity.

Listen to this episode and walk into your next workday with a confident new perspective.

– Stephen Trutter