{"id":15311,"date":"2025-08-01T11:40:41","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T18:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/?p=15311"},"modified":"2025-08-02T07:49:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T14:49:48","slug":"all-things-dso-ai-and-ma-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/blog\/all-things-dso-ai-and-ma-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"All Things DSO: AI Agents and M&amp;A Outlook\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/resources\/2025-dental-industry-outlook-report\/\" data-type=\"resources\" data-id=\"14174\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dental industry<\/a>, and few understand its implications better than Brian Colao, director of the <a href=\"https:\/\/dykemadso.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dykema DSO Industry Group<\/a>. During the All Things DSO webinar in July 2025, Colao shared his perspectives on AI adoption, regulatory challenges, and the shifting dynamics of mergers and acquisitions (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/resources\/dso-ma-101-ebook\/\" data-type=\"resources\" data-id=\"12208\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M&amp;A<\/a>) in the dental support organization (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/dsos-dental-groups\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"11739\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DSO<\/a>) space. <\/p>\n\n\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/player.js\" async><\/script><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/ef62r2nlvq.js\" async type=\"module\"><\/script><\/p>\n<style>wistia-player[media-id='ef62r2nlvq']:not(:defined) { background: center \/ contain no-repeat url('https:\/\/fast.wistia.com\/embed\/medias\/ef62r2nlvq\/swatch'); display: block; filter: blur(5px); }<\/style>\n<p> <wistia-player media-id=\"ef62r2nlvq\" aspect=\"1.7777777777777777\" style=\"width: 400px;height: 225px;\"><\/wistia-player><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Rise in AI-Powered Agents&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the newest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/webinars\/2025-clinical-and-operational-innovations-for-dsos\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"webinars\" data-id=\"14832\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">innovations<\/a> is the rise of AI-powered \u201cagents,\u201d virtual assistants capable of handling patient calls and administrative tasks. \u201cThey don\u2019t like the term \u2018bots,\u2019\u201d Colao said. \u201cThese agents are quite sophisticated. They can take phone calls and interact with people and handle most situations.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While initially skeptical, Colao acknowledged their growing effectiveness. \u201cI was the last holdout, but now I\u2019ll take a call with an agent.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI and HIPAA Compliance&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/blog\/planet-dds-ai-assist-dentistry\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"14183\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AI<\/a> is also being used to enhance training and patient consultations. Some DSOs are leveraging AI to analyze recorded consultations and provide feedback on communication effectiveness. Colao emphasized the importance of compliance: \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/resources\/dso-security-privacy-and-compliance\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"resources\" data-id=\"13890\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HIPAA compliant<\/a> \u2026 there are regulatory hoops you must jump through.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI and Predictive Analytics&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking ahead, Colao sees predictive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/blog\/5-analytics-driving-best-practices-for-your-dental-practice-or-dental-organization\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2905\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">analytics<\/a> as the next frontier. \u201cIt\u2019s in development, but it\u2019s just about ready, and I think it\u2019s going to be a game changer,\u201d he said. These tools could help forecast patient outcomes or predict appointment no-shows, enabling practices to optimize scheduling and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/resources\/emily-vanney-on-blending-patient-care-and-organizational-leadership\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"resources\" data-id=\"11486\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">patient care<\/a> delivery.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dental M&amp;A Market Remains Stagnant&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the dental M&amp;A front, Colao described a market still in drought. \u201cSince mid-2022, about forty-two significant transactions have been abandoned, and only seven have closed,\u201d he said. High interest rates and increased buyer caution are major contributors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Colao said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/resources\/jeremy-krell-on-dental-innovation-and-investment\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"resources\" data-id=\"13268\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">investors<\/a> are spending a lot more time on due diligence.&nbsp; \u201cThings that would have been looked past in 2019 are now being heavily scrutinized.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Insurance Carrier DSO Acquisition <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>He also addressed the recent acquisition of <a href=\"https:\/\/cherrytreedental.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cherry Tree Dental<\/a>, a dental group with over thirty locations, by the dental insurance company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deltadentalwi.com\/s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Delta Dental<\/a> of Wisconsin.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Wisconsin Dental Association raised concerns. The ADA released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ada.org\/about\/press-releases\/statement-on-dental-insurance-company-acquisition-of-dental-practices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a> that this acquisition raises deep concerns about potential conflict of interest.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPatients may find their treatment options limited to what is most cost-effective for the insurer, not necessarily what is most effective for their oral health,\u201d responded ADA.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brian Colao said it\u2019s too early to know the ramifications. \u201cThere\u2019s no regulation on this yet, but if this trend continues, we\u2019re going to need rules that define what a conflict of interest really is.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s Next for DSOs: Stay Informed, Stay Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Colao is hosting Dykema\u2019s Twelfth Annual DSO Conference on August 6\u20138, 2025.<\/strong> \u201cWe\u2019re going to break our own attendance record,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got new speakers, great content, and incredible entertainment.\u201d Planet DDS will be interviewing leaders for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/resource-type\/podcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Dental Economist Show<\/a> podcast from the exhibit floor.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What to learn more about how Planet DDS dental software solutions can help your organization achieve sustainable growth? Contact us today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/book-a-demo\/\">Request a Demo<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the dental industry, and few understand its implications better than Brian Colao, director of the Dykema DSO Industry Group. During the All Things DSO webinar&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":15350,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[244,562,1321,54,8,1427,128,88,138],"tags":[559,399,27,1496,13,43,1541,1298,57,147,152],"class_list":["post-15311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry-trends","category-artificial-intelligence","category-cloud-9","category-cloud-software","category-dental-cloud-technology","category-dental-service-organization","category-dso","category-planet-dds","category-trends","tag-ai","tag-analytics","tag-dental-practice","tag-dental-support-organization","tag-dentistry","tag-dso","tag-industry-trends","tag-ma","tag-planet-dds","tag-practice-management","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15311\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}