Heartland Dental
Largest dental support organization in the United States.
PE-OWNED
Acquired by KKR2018-12-01
What Made It Great
Supporting independent dentists with business services while preserving clinical autonomy.
What PE Will Likely Do
Heartland Dental will likely see an increase in the use of less experienced dental assistants and hygienists rather than licensed dentists to reduce labor costs
Heartland Dental may pursue a real estate sale-leaseback strategy, extracting equity from their office locations and passing the higher rental costs onto patients
Heartland Dental could attempt to increase profits by aggressively upcoding dental procedures and billing for higher-reimbursement treatments, even if they are not medically necessary
Heartland Dental may choose to eliminate or reduce access to certain specialized dental services like orthodontics, oral surgery, or pediatric dentistry in order to focus on more profitable procedures
Expected Timeline
“0 to 6 months months”
Heartland Dental will likely announce 'optimization' initiatives, shuffle leadership, and make cosmetic changes to project an image of efficiency
“6 to 12 months months”
Heartland Dental will begin cutting staffing levels, particularly by replacing dentists with less experienced personnel, and start reviewing service offerings
“12 to 24 months months”
Patients of Heartland Dental will likely experience longer wait times, reduced time with providers, and a noticeable decline in the quality of care
“24 to 36 months months”
Major issues could emerge at Heartland Dental, such as the closure of certain dental offices or clinics, and potential quality scandals related to improper billing or substandard treatment
“36+ months months”
Heartland Dental could face the possibility of bankruptcy, fire sale to another operator, or significant contraction of its network of dental offices
Similar Cases
Other companies that followed a similar path after PE acquisition
What You Can Do
Actions
Patients of Heartland Dental should closely monitor any changes in the quality of care, including the experience level of their providers, the time spent with them, and the availability of specialized services
Patients should be vigilant for any signs of improper billing or upcoding, and should seek second opinions if they are recommended treatments that seem excessive or unnecessary
Patients may want to consider seeking dental care from independent, locally-owned practices that are not part of a large, PE-backed dental support organization
Alternatives
Community-focused healthcare
Integrated managed care consortium