Business & Industry Insider: Top 10 DSOs: Pandemic didn't curb corporate growth

Dear Business & Industry Insider,

The top 10 largest dental service organizations (DSOs) in the U.S. have grown considerably since we last updated our list in 2019.

Heartland Dental once again topped the list of largest DSOs in the country, growing by about 200 practices in almost two years. The list also included two newcomers: MB2 Dental and North American Dental Group. See the full list of top 10 DSOs in our Insider Exclusive.

Also new in the Business & Industry Community, the ADA's political action committee is suspending political contributions to former dentist Rep. Dr. Paul Gosar (R-AZ). The decision comes after months of mounting pressure from some of its members following the insurrection in the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

Speaking of politics: Is dental care coming to Medicare? That could be the case if the U.S. Democrats put into action their $3.5 trillion budget blueprint. However, don't change your insurance forms just yet. Democrats have yet to iron out the details, and the bill has quite a few hurdles to cross before it could pass Congress.

While adding dental coverage to Medicare through the proposed budget may not pan out, the fact that lawmakers included the idea at all reflects growing support for dental services in government healthcare plans. A recent survey found 80% of voters supported adding dental coverage to Medicare -- up from 70% in 2019. More oral health experts also appear to be asking what it will take to get a dental benefit added to U.S. healthcare and why dentistry isn't considered essential for adults in our current health insurance landscape.

Finally, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released new standards to protect healthcare workers from occupational COVID-19 exposure. While most dental professionals are exempt from the rule, the emergency temporary standard applies to those providing services in hospital settings or treating patients with symptoms of COVID-19 or who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.