---
title: "What Is Dental service organization? Dental Practice Glossary"
description: "A company that gives business support to dental practices, such as billing, human resources, marketing and purchasing, under a contract."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-service-organization
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Dental service organizations

# Dental service organization

A company that gives business support to dental practices, such as billing, human resources, marketing and purchasing, under a contract.

A dental service organization, or DSO, is a business that supports dental practices with non-clinical work. The ADA also uses the name dental support organization. It describes these companies as entities that practice owners contract with to manage the administrative, marketing and business sides of a practice.

The ADA adds that DSOs do not provide patient clinical services. They concentrate on the business and other nonclinical support that practices need. DSOs vary in size and structure.

Related terms include [DSO](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dso), the shorter form, and [dental support organization](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-support-organization), the ADA's wording. The contract between the two sides is often a [management services agreement](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/management-services-agreement). This entry defines the term and takes no side.

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## Related terms

-   [DSO](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dso)
-   [Dental support organization](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-support-organization)
-   [Management services agreement](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/management-services-agreement)
-   [Dental partnership organization](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-partnership-organization)

## Sources

1.  [ADA News, What are the main types of DSOs?](https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2022/march/main-types-of-dsos/)
2.  [ADA News, What are the main types of DSOs?](https://adanews.ada.org/ada-news/2022/march/main-types-of-dsos/)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

[Contact Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact)[Email](mailto:drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com)