Heartland Dental

Heartland Dental is a leading Dental Support Organization (DSO) based in Effingham, Illinois, founded by Dr. Rick Workman in 1997. It operates as the largest DSO in the United States, supporting over 2,700 doctors in more than 1,700 dental offices across 38 states. The core of Heartland Dental's business model is to provide comprehensive non-clinical administrative support services to dental practices. This allows supported dentists to retain clinical autonomy and focus primarily on patient care, while Heartland Dental handles the day-to-day business operations. These support services include, but are not limited to, personnel staffing, office administration, financial management, marketing, information technology (IT) support, supply procurement, and insurance credentialing. By centralizing these functions, Heartland Dental aims to relieve dentists of administrative burdens, improve their work-life balance, and enhance the overall quality and efficiency of the dental care provided. Heartland Dental generates revenue through an affiliation model, acquiring existing dental practices and also establishing new "de novo" locations in high-growth suburban markets. They focus on finding high-quality general family practices that are mainstays in their communities. The organization emphasizes a "doctor-led" culture, where affiliated dentists maintain full control over patient treatment decisions. They also provide access to world-class continuing education, leadership training, and a network of over 1,500 colleagues for professional development and mentorship. While Heartland Dental does not directly provide dental services as a single clinic, it supports a vast network of individually branded dental offices, making it a "clinic" in the sense of a large, interconnected group of practices.