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Corporate Profile: Aspen Dental

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Dr. Gabriel Iancu & Regional Practice Medicine Administrator Kristy Pasquarelli
Dentists Embrace the Trend
In a shift that’s redefining traditional thinking about what it means to have a career in dentistry, an increasing number of dentists are opting to join Dental Service Organizations (DSOs).

“Simply stated, DSOs make life better for dentists,” says Edward Meckler, DMD, executive director of the Dental Group Practice Association (DGPA), a non-profit organization made up of DSOs throughout the U.S., Australia and Canada. Meckler adds, “DSOs provide an enticing value proposition for dentists that includes comprehensive business support services, access to ongoing education and training, outstanding career opportunities including practice ownership and even the access to capital required to develop and grow a practice. DSOs allow dentists to spend more time caring for their patients and developing their practices.”

In the past decade, the number of dentists joining DSOs has grown significantly, yet the reasons for joining a DSO are as varied as the dentists themselves. From recent dental school graduates to dentists who have been in practice for 20 years, DSOs offer myriad benefits to dentists at every phase of their careers.

Myths and Misperceptions
Despite the growing influx of clinicians who have opted to join DSOs in the past decade, misperceptions abound. Dr. Cristina Dominguez, an Aspen Dental practice owner in Portland, Maine, admits that she had strong – and not necessarily positive – preconceived notions about DSOs.

As her graduation from Tufts University School of Dental neared in the spring of 2006, Dominguez interviewed with several Boston-area practices, but hesitated to make the multi-year commitment that many practices sought without the assurance of eventual ownership.

“Like most dentists, my career goal was to own a successful practice, but every job option came with only the long-term “possibility’ of ownership,” says Dominguez. “We all have colleagues who have put their time in only to have the owner’s priorities change. I wanted a clear path where ownership was a reality and within reach once I was confident in my abilities and knew I was ready.”

Facing daunting dental school loans, Dominguez took a close look at Aspen Dental, and the more she learned, the more she liked. She joined Aspen as a part-time associate dentist in Massachusetts.

“When I was in dental school, the term “corporate dentistry’ came along with negative connotations that a practice associated with a service organization couldn’t deliver high quality care,” says Dominguez. “Even though I did extensive research, joining Aspen Dental required a leap of faith. But I’ve learned firsthand that “corporate dentistry’ is a misnomer – it certainly doesn’t reflect my personal experience.”

“Aspen encouraged me to think like an owner from the beginning,” says Dominguez. “The reality is that I’m building my own private practice. The difference is that I’m doing it with the support of a ser vice organization that has already developed a successful operating model.”

Her experience made her an advocate of the DSO practice model, enthusiasm that she passed along to her Tufts classmate Dr. Justin Griffee.

“Like many of my Aspen colleagues, I was brought in through word of mouth,” says Griffee. “It quickly became clear that the choice was the right one. Among other things, Aspen offered a great career path from associate dentist to clinical director to practice owner.”

Balancing Risk and Reward
Dentistry is not a profession for the financially faint of heart. New dentists today are burdened with increasing amounts of debt, more than tripling from $70,000 in 1995 to $250,000 in 2006, according to the American Dental Association.

Considering that the ongoing crunch in the credit market makes obtaining financing more of a challenge than ever before, the traditional private practice career progression might simply be out of reach for many. These obstacles make a DSO an even more attractive option for many dentists.

“If I had followed the traditional private practice route, it would have taken 15 years to be able to afford my own practice,” says Griffee. “And it would have cost about $500,000. Add in my debt from dental school and it would have been out of the question. With Aspen Dental, my investment was a fraction of that cost, and most importantly the company provided the financial backing I needed to establish my practice.”

Adds Dominguez, “I’ve watched so many dental school classmates struggle to gain their footing – it just reaffirms that the decision I made was right.”

Dominguez and Griffee became practice owners in southern Maine in 2008, and have recently integrated a third office into their group. Dominguez admits, “Living in Maine wasn’t something I had ever thought about. But the opportunity to define my own career path in a beautiful state with tremendous unmet patient need was too much to ignore. It’s been challenging, exciting and rewarding for both of us.”

Ownership: Responsibility, Opportunity and Balance
Dr. Amrita Reddy, a 2003 graduate of Boston University’s Henry M. Goldman School of Dentistry, faced a very different challenge: balancing her desire to own and grow a practice with the demands of a growing family.

For most people, having a toddler at home while expecting a second child would be the perfect time to ease up on their career, if even temporarily. But Reddy is not most people.

Her demonstrated success as clinical director for Aspen locations in Woburn and Medford, Massachusetts, encouraged her to pursue ownership under Aspen’s Practice Ownership Program (POP). “I was confident in my abilities and secure in my relationship with the Aspen team, and even though I was eight months pregnant, the time was right,” she says.

Reddy moved north to develop and become owner of Aspen Dental practices in Manchester and Nashua, New Hampshire, in 2008. She added a third location to her group practice in October 2009.

“Aspen made a commitment to cultivate a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship with me. I wouldn’t have been able to even consider this great opportunity, let alone take advantage of it, if not for the great day-to-day support I receive,” says Reddy. “We share the same values and have developed a solid and trusting relationship that allows me to focus on my patients and my family.”

Business Skills Development
One thing Drs. Reddy, Dominguez and Griffee all agree on is that working with a DSO has helped them hone their leadership, management and overall business skillset.

According to Reddy, the experience she gained as an associate dentist and as a clinical director with Aspen was critical to her success as an owner.

“Access to ongoing training and development and continuing education programs has been a major bonus,” she says. “I’ve learned how to lead a staff and better manage a productive, efficient and thriving practice. Before joining Aspen, I couldn’t tell you what a P&L (profit and loss) statement was. Now, I get one delivered to me every month and I fully understand my key practice metrics. I get solid, thoughtful advice on how to make smart investments in my team and in my practice.”

For Griffee, the experience was similarly formative.

“I can’t say that dental school or working as an associate in someone’s private practice really prepares you for the challenges of being a practice owner. Dealing with staffing issues alone can be a full-time job,” says Griffee. “Dr. Dominguez and I realized early on that it was in our best interest to take advantage of all the training and developmental opportunities available to us through Aspen. That’s because the challenges of ownership don’t come naturally for most dentists. While we’re comfortable as clinicians, running the business is uncharted territory for us.”

Entrepreneurial Spirit Brings Practice Growth
Dr. Gabriel Iancu, known to his colleagues and patients as “Dr. Gabe,” had a very clear picture of where he wanted to go.

“I was clear about my desire to build a practice with multiple locations, and Aspen Dental was open to that concept from the beginning,” says Iancu. “I wanted to align myself with a company that was in the business of building and developing practices. Aspen was the perfect choice for me. The company doesn’t acquire practices. Aspen’s growth has all been organic, from site selection and final construction, to ongoing development and support.”

Success came quickly. After joining Aspen Dental as an associate dentist in 2003, Iancu became a practice owner in 2005, starting his practice in Albany, New York, with three locations. In 2006, he doubled his practice, then added locations in 2007, 2009 and two this year. Today, Iancu’s group practice of 10 offices stretches from New York’s Capital District south to the Hudson Valley region and north to Vermont.

“I have all the benefits of a traditional private practice owner including long-term equity, plus with this model I have the support of a tremendous service organization,” says Iancu. “There is a mutual respect that keeps us aligned. My success is Aspen’s success and vice versa. We share common goals and work together every day to achieve them.”
Dr. Gabriel Iancu and members of his group practice team.
Finding Opportunity at a Crossroads
Unlike Iancu, the decision to join a DSO was not an obvious choice for Dr. George Monios. In private practice, he had struggled to grow with any consistency and meet the overwhelming demands of running his own office. So in 2005, Monios decided to close the practice and look for a career change.

He was close to accepting a clinical role with the U.S. Air Force when he heard that Aspen Dental was looking to establish a practice in his hometown, news that gave him pause. After exploring the DSO option, he scrapped his Air Force plans and joined Aspen Dental in January 2006 to develop a practice in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

“This time I wanted to find a better way,” says Monios. “With my first practice I wore more hats than I imagined possible. On top of taking care of the patients in the chair, I was the accountant, the payroll manager, the collections guy and even the computer technician. In considering ownership again, I wanted my focus to be on patients.” Monios became the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, practice owner in 2007.

Strategic Partnerships
Monios shared Aspen’s desire to establish a greater presence in the area. “I experienced the Aspen business model in action and had firsthand knowledge of its ability to drive a successful practice,” he says.

With Johnstown now flourishing, Monios believed the time was right to expand his practice. “A key element in being able to grow with stability was to bring in a partner,” says Monios. With support from Aspen’s professional recruitment team, Monios found his match in Dr. John Fazio, a kindred spirit who was looking for a new opportunity after more than 20 years in private practice.

Fazio purchased an equity stake in Monios’ practice, and the two have a strong relationship built on mutual values and philosophies. With Fazio on his team, Monios’ network of offices is now at five and thriving.

“We have all the tools we need to manage a productive practice,” says Monios. “We have the systems to assess our performance daily, and Aspen’s support center to manage time consuming, distracting, yet necessary administrative tasks. We see patients – and lots of them.”

Iancu has also brought in partners to help grow his business. Virtually from the moment he became an owner, Iancu strategically recruited dentists with partnership in mind. In order to provide greater stability to his group, he added five equity partners in 2009, all clinical directors he had previously hired.

On track to open one practice per week in 2010, Aspen Dental is one of the largest networks of dental care providers in the U.S. with more than 230 offices in 20 states from Maine to Florida and Arizona to Washington. Aspen’s innovative business model is focused entirely on building strong, long-term and highly aligned relationships with dentists. Underpinning this relationship are shared goals of building long-term practice value, improving patient care, and driving practice productivity.

Aspen’s business support services are provided through Aspen Dental Management, Inc., located in East Syracuse, New York.
To learn more about career opportunities with Aspen Dental practices, call 866-748-5707, or e-mail careers@aspendentaljobs.com. For dentists interested in developing a practice with Aspen Dental e-mail ownership@aspendentaljobs.com or visit www.aspendentaljobs.com.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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