Dental service organizations
DSO
The short form of dental service organization, a business that provides non-clinical support such as billing, marketing and human resources to dental practices under contract.
DSO is the common short form for a dental service organization or dental support organization. The ADA says DSOs are entities that dental practice owners contract with to manage the administrative, marketing and business sides of a practice.
The ADA Health Policy Institute counts a practice as affiliated with a DSO if an outside entity manages some or all of its non-clinical functions, such as billing, marketing and human resources. The ADA also notes that DSOs vary in size and structure.
See dental service organization for the full name. A related model is the DPO, and the topic of ownership by investors appears under private equity in dentistry. This entry defines the term only.