The US healthcare system is complicated by the involvement of private equity, particularly within the dental industry. Research indicates that private equity participation results in worse patient care, as seen by increased overdiagnosis, lower quality procedures, and understaffing. In 2024, 161 private equity deals in dentistry were reported, reflecting a trend where many small dental practices are acquired by large corporations. This trend transforms patient interactions into efficiency-focused transactions, negatively impacting the quality of dental care.
A lot of small dental practices have been bought up by big corporations. Brannan described the practice as 'McDonald's for teeth' - where patients are treated as drive-thru customers, and their dental needs as orders to be filled as fast as possible.
Broadly, patients of these facilities experienced overdiagnosis, lower quality procedures, understaffing, and overly inflated bills compared to private-practice dentistry, as the private equity-owned firms skirt state laws in order to reduce costs - thereby driving revenue.
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