Smile Brands
Dental practice management company supporting hundreds of dental offices.
PE-OWNED
Acquired by KKR2021-04-12
What Made It Great
Scalable dental practice management and support services
What PE Will Likely Do
Reduced staff and less experienced dental professionals to cut labor costs, leading to longer wait times, rushed appointments, and potential declines in quality of care
Sale-leaseback of dental practice real estate to extract equity, potentially leading to higher rents and facility maintenance issues
Aggressive billing practices to boost revenue, including upcoding of procedures and diagnoses, resulting in higher out-of-pocket costs for patients
Elimination of unprofitable but important services like specialized dental care for low-income or special needs patients
Significant management fees charged by KKR, reducing resources available for patient care and practice investments
Expected Timeline
“0 to 6 months months”
Announcement of 'efficiency' initiatives, leadership changes, and optimization plans
“6 to 12 months months”
Staffing reductions, service reviews, and the start of real estate transactions
“12 to 24 months months”
Noticeable declines in patient experience, including longer wait times, rushed appointments, and issues with facility maintenance
“24 to 36 months months”
Potential closure of less profitable dental practices, quality scandals, and patient dissatisfaction
“36+ months months”
Likelihood of bankruptcy or a fire sale to another operator, further disrupting patient care
Similar Cases
Other companies that followed a similar path after PE acquisition
What You Can Do
Actions
Be vigilant for any changes in the quality of dental services, such as longer wait times, rushed appointments, or issues with facility maintenance
Monitor your dental bills for potential upcoding or other billing irregularities, and advocate for transparent and fair pricing
Stay informed about any changes to the availability of specialized dental services or the closure of local dental practices
Consider switching to a dental provider not affiliated with Smile Brands if the quality of care significantly declines
Alternatives
Community-focused healthcare
Integrated managed care consortium