---
title: "What Is DPO? Dental Practice Glossary | Copeland Consulting Services"
description: "Dental partnership organization, a name some groups use for a DSO-style model in which affiliated dentists keep a meaningful ownership stake."
url: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dpo
publisher: Copeland Consulting Services
email: drcopeland@joncopelanddds.com
contact: https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact
---

Dental service organizations

# DPO

Dental partnership organization, a name some groups use for a DSO-style model in which affiliated dentists keep a meaningful ownership stake.

DPO stands for dental partnership organization. Writers use the name for a group model that offers shared business support while the dentist keeps ownership. One industry guide says DSO and DPO are sometimes used interchangeably, but are distinct models with different structures, benefits and challenges.

The same guide says that under a DPO, dentists retain significant ownership and decision-making power. Because the term comes from industry usage, not from a legal standard, meanings differ from one group to another.

See [dental partnership organization](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-partnership-organization) for the full name and [DSO](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dso) for the broader category. Readers should ask any group to define its terms in writing. This entry takes no side.

[Next stepIndustry work with Dr. Copeland](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/contact?topic=industry)

## Related terms

-   [Dental partnership organization](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-partnership-organization)
-   [DSO](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dso)
-   [Dental service organization](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-service-organization)
-   [Clinical autonomy](https://joncopeland.multisites.ai/glossary/clinical-autonomy)

## Sources

1.  [Weave, DSO vs DPO: Key Differences, Benefits, and Comparison](https://www.getweave.com/dso-vs-dpo/)
2.  [Weave, DSO vs DPO: Key Differences, Benefits, and Comparison](https://www.getweave.com/dso-vs-dpo/)

## Talk with Dr. Copeland

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