Scaling Smart: How Emerging Dental Groups Can Successfully Grow

Sponsored Content: Planet DDS

The conversation around growth in dentistry often centers on large, established DSOs—but much of the industry’s future is being shaped by emerging dental groups making the leap from early-stage to enterprise-ready. These organizations are at a turning point: They’ve proven their clinical model, built a foundation of patient trust, and now face the complex task of expanding across multiple locations while maintaining consistency, efficiency, and quality patient care. 

For emerging groups, this phase comes with both opportunity and risk. Many are eager to professionalize operations, implement systems that support scale, and prepare for future investment or acquisition. But the path forward isn’t always clear. Missteps at this stage—such as inadequate infrastructure, disjointed technology, or inconsistent workflows—can create inefficiencies that slow expansion or weaken financials.

This article explores the common pitfalls of scaling, best practices for sustainability, and how new programs like Launchpad by Planet DDS create more accessible pathways to stronger operations and growth. 

Common Pitfalls That Stall Growth

Many groups with strong clinical performance find themselves hitting operational ceilings as they expand. These issues aren’t always visible early on but tend to surface quickly once the group scales past a few locations. The most common setbacks include:

1. Lack of standardized processes

Scaling without consistent clinical, operational, and financial workflows introduces inefficiencies rather than streamlining them.

• Each location often operates in a silo, resulting in variations in patient care, scheduling, and billing.
• Without documented standard operating procedures (SOPs), training new team members becomes more difficult, and employee and patient experience suffer.

Pro tip: Before expansion, invest time in developing shared processes and cultural norms that support consistency.

• Define SOPs for clinical care, billing, scheduling, patient communications, and HR.
• Build onboarding and training programs that reinforce these standards across every site.

2. Technology fragmentation

Many emerging groups often rely on legacy or cobbled-together systems that don’t communicate across departments or locations.

• Disconnected practice management, imaging, billing, and communication tools make it challenging to access real-time data or manage performance consistently.
• On-premise software may have worked at one or two locations, but it quickly becomes an issue as data is inaccessible remotely.

Scalable growth requires systems that centralize data, workflows, and insights across locations. Consider shifting to a technology infrastructure that will scale with you: 

• Cloud-based platforms make it possible to manage multiple sites in real-time with unified tools for practice management, imaging, and patient communications.
• Unlike on-premise tools, cloud solutions simplify reporting, scheduling, and coordination—supporting executive visibility and day-to-day efficiency.

3. Financial strain and poor cost planning

Growth comes at a cost—but scaling without financial rigor can destabilize an otherwise promising group.

• Rapid expansion without visibility into key performance indicators (KPIs) like patient acquisition cost, case acceptance, or provider production can lead to cash flow challenges.
• Poor revenue cycle management (RCM) can delay collections and mask underperforming sites.

Instead, groups that understand their financial drivers are better positioned to grow responsibly.

• Use integrated reporting to monitor production, collections, patient acquisition cost, and profitability at the location level.
• Adopt RCM systems that minimize outstanding A/R and reduce administrative burden.

4. M&A readiness

Many groups position themselves for eventual acquisition but fail to make the operational investments that drive higher valuations.

• Disorganized financials, technology debt, and inconsistent reporting make it difficult for buyers to see scalable potential.
• Groups that haven’t embraced enterprise-level platforms or standardized workflows often face delays or lower offers.

When preparing for long-term growth and M&A, whether aiming to expand regionally or prepare for acquisition, operational maturity matters.

• Maintain clean, up-to-date financials and document your workflow and technology investments.
• Choose systems and partners that scale with your growth plans, rather than requiring reinvestment later.

How Launchpad Helps Emerging Groups Scale Smarter

For many dental groups, the desire to scale is real—but they hesitate to modernize because of two major concerns: cost and operational disruption. 

The Planet DDS Launchpad program is built specifically with these dental groups in mind. These targeted organizations are ones that have a growth plan in place but are still early in their journey—groups that want to make smart investments today that will pay off in the future.

Launchpad helps address those challenges with a support model that balances affordability and operational ease. By design, Launchpad is an investment in the long-term health of the industry—empowering emerging groups with tools they can grow into, not out of. 

Launchpad members gain access to:

• Enterprise-grade technology at a fraction of the cost: Save up to 80% in the first year on Denticon practice management, including patient communications, RCM and online scheduling and Apteryx with AI imaging. Choose from three technology bundles to match your organization’s needs.

• Built-in support for implementation and onboarding: An experienced team ensures that the transition is smooth and efficient, minimizing disruption during rollout.

• A community of experienced operators: With access to an extended network, Launchpad members can connect with other group leaders, consultants, and subject matter experts who’ve already scaled and can share what works—and what to avoid.

• Smart foundations for future growth: Early adoption of integrated cloud systems makes standardization easier. These efficiencies become embedded in your culture and processes before the organization becomes too complex to pivot.

Launchpad seeks to help these groups establish the foundation they’ll need to move forward. By removing cost barriers and providing expert guidance, Planet DDS is creating a more accessible path to scalable, sustainable growth.

Rethinking Growth for Dental Groups

Emerging dental groups are shaping the next generation of dental care. As they scale, the decisions made early on—around technology, operations, and financial structure—can have a lasting impact. Those that prioritize consistency, modern infrastructure, and clear oversight are better positioned to grow with more knowledge and control.

With Launchpad, Planet DDS is making enterprise-level technology accessible to dental groups, giving them a competitive edge and setting them up for long-term success.Want to future-proof your growth? Learn more about how Launchpad can help accelerate your expansion journey.