When we think about the dental industry, we generally don’t think of dentists as being at the forefront of innovation. After all, people come to get their teeth cleaned, cavities filled, and other treatments that, on the surface, seem to have not changed in decades. What is there to innovate?
Bharat Rana, the CEO of ProSmile, the Mid-Atlantic regions largest DSO, believes there is a need for dental practices to innovate, not only with the services they provide but how they deliver top-quality dental care in the context of the global coronavirus pandemic.
There isn’t an industry that hasn’t been impacted by the pandemic in one way or another, and the dental industry is no exception. The American Dental Association projects that spending on dental care will fall up to 38 percent in 2020 and an additional 20 percent in 2021. Add in new and challenging safety procedures, the need for additional protective gear, and generally lower patient volumes, many dental offices will likely struggle.
“COVID-19 hit the dental industry hard, including most of our practices, which experienced closures for several weeks,” says Rana. “Thankfully, we navigated through these challenging times and emerged stronger than ever.”
For Rana, this is an opportunity to improve how the industry delivers services at a time of crisis. And as the CEO of one of the largest DSO’s in the Mid-Atlantic region, Rana believes his firm can make a positive impact.
“It’s truly a coordinated effort with all our healthcare professionals to ensure we’re providing the best care in the safest environment possible. We’re continuing to emphasize the importance of dental hygiene and how oral health effects overall health – particularly in underinsured communities where patients are most vulnerable.”
This is a particularly timely and needed approach, given that communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic are also at higher risk of oral disease and poor dental health, according to the CDC.
Rana believes that this compassionate approach is itself an innovation. What’s more, dental practices shouldn’t have to make a tradeoff between healthy financials and delivering the best quality dental care possible. For Rana, that’s an achievement that comes by combining scale with cutting-edge technologies and techniques.
This strategy is the result of a lot of hard work, great partnerships and Rana’s dynamic leadership. Originally working in the finance industry, Rana partnered with a good friend and leading dentist, Dr. Amish Patel, in 2011, and grew their business through smart, sustainable acquisitions. This year marks Rana’s largest and most successful move thus far, as his organization acquired Allied Dental with more than 650 employees treating over 2,000 patients a day, it’s not about the numbers for Rana. It’s about the impact.
“My goal has always been to lead a large successful company that makes a significant positive impact, and I will continue to work towards that goal,” says Rana.
And while the future of the dental industry will depend greatly on how the pandemic is addressed, Rana sees a bright future for his firm and the patients they treat.
– CEO World