Consolidation in the dental industry: a closer look at dental payers and providers
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Level 3 by design analogy (observational multi-year econometric analysis, not clinical CEBM)
OpenAlex W2793043282 · doi:10.1007/s10754-019-09274-x
What was done
The authors investigated how commercial dental insurance concentration influences the size of dental practices, dentists' decisions to own a practice, and their choice to work at a dental management service organization (DMSO). They analyzed 2013–2015 dentist-level data from the American Dental Association, county-level firm and employment data from the United States Census, and commercial dental insurance market concentration data from FAIR Health®.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical estimates or confidence intervals. Directionally, commercial dental insurance market concentration had a modest positive association with dental practice size. Higher concentration was also associated with a reduced likelihood of a dentist choosing to own a practice. Evidence linking payer concentration to affiliation with a dental management service organization was inconclusive.
Why it matters
It provides empirical evidence on how payer consolidation in health care markets may drive provider consolidation and diminish independent solo practice ownership among dentists.
Limits
The abstract does not disclose the sample size, specific statistical models, effect estimates, or confidence intervals. The observational design cannot rule out unmeasured market-level confounding, and the data reflect only 2013–2015 commercial market dynamics in the United States.
Cited by
- context Over 50% of dental offices in the United States are corporate-owned.