Tempe, AZ, Jan. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gen4 Dental Partners, a Thurston Group portfolio company, has announced another year of explosive growth in 2023, welcoming 71 new doctors and 160 hygienists into the 2½-year-old Dental Service Organization (DSO). Based in Tempe, AZ, the innovative, dynamic DSO has entered into partnerships with 27 new partner doctors, including nationally recognized Dr. Dennis Wells, Dr. Frank Feuille V, and Dr. James G. Woodyard.
“Gen4 Dental Partners continues to impress and outperform high growth targets,” said Patrick J. Haynes III, Chairman and CEO of Thurston Group. “In such a short period of time, the team has been able to put in place the building blocks of a world-class organization. The value proposition and differentiation of the platform has attracted the highest quality of partners across multiple dental specialties, which has positioned Gen4 as a market leader.”
New partnerships throughout the country
In 2023, Gen4 completed over 20 acquisitions comprising over 70 dentists across 40+ offices. These new partnerships included continued expansion in Utah, Texas, Ohio, California, Kansas, Michigan and Minnesota, plus expansion into Tennessee, Nevada, Indiana and New Mexico.
All told, by year’s end, Gen4 had gathered 221 dentists, including 100 Partner Doctors and 357 hygienists in more than 100 locations in 14 states.
Acquisitions in 2023 include:
- Implant and Laser Peridontal Surgery Center, a surgical practice in El Paso, TX, led by Dr. Frank Feuille V. They specialize in treatment of gum disease, implant placements, laser therapy, and cosmetic dentistry.
- Woodyard Periodontics, led by Dr. James G. Woodyard in Newburgh, IN. Dr. Woodyard is a periodontist who specializes in LANAP treatment, dental implants, and IV sedation dentistry.
- Allure Dental, a dental practice in Lafayette, IN. It is led by Dr. Trevor Murray, who specializes in family, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry, including implants, veneers, and the treatment of TMJ; and Dr. Christian J. Mazur, who focuses on Migraine/TMJ, Dental Cosmetics, CEREC same-day dentistry, 3D implant placement, and orthodontics as a Diamond Invisalign® provider.
- Dakota Dental and Wellness Center, a practice led by Dr. Bennett Isabella in Apple Valley, MN, just south of the Twin Cities. Offering full-spectrum dental services, the office emphasizes a gentle approach through sedation dentistry, holistic wellness, and a warm, comfortable environment.
- Minnesota Dental Surgery and Implant Center, a practice in nearby Bloomington, MN, also led by Dr. Isabella as well as Drs. Brian Jordan, Peter Thernau, and Karl Peterson. The surgical center brings the highly specialized skills of a large dental surgery center, such as dental extractions, implants, and sedation dentistry, to a friendly neighborhood office environment.
- Wagner Dental, owned by Dr. Kent Wagner in Las Vegas, NV, which offers advanced CEREC same-day dentistry, dental implants, and cosmetic dentistry.
- Wasatch Dental Group, led by Drs. Wes Tillmann, Dane Nelson, Jordan Whatcott, and Marc Enslow and their teams at two locations in suburban Salt Lake City, UT: Nelson and Tillman Family Dentistry and Oquirrh Mountain Dental.
- Nashville Aesthetic Dentistry, led by award-winning Dr. Dennis Wells in Nashville, TN. An icon in the cosmetic dental space, Dr. Wells revolutionized the industry with developments in minimal/prepless veneers, including the invention and development of DURAthin and Micro-thin veneers, which are no-prep, no-drill dental veneers that preserve more of the natural teeth.
We are also delighted to announce Accent Dental, Bowtie Dental, Comfort Dental of Clinton, East Sac Dental, Hale and Hale, Hoffman Dental, James M. Lapierre, DDS, Michael Crowton, DDS, Monterey Coast Periodontics, Michael C. Toms, DDS, MS, Northern Nevada Family Dental, Northeast Texas Periodontal Specialists, Richard C. Evangelista, DDS, and Eric Tsai, DDS. Each brings a unique commitment to excellence, enhancing our collective endeavor to provide outstanding dental care.
New innovations that elevate the field of dentistry, especially patient care
But Gen4 is about more than just acquisitions – much more. The DSO continued to elevate the field of dentistry through a variety of breakthrough innovations. For example:
- The Clinical Excellence Partners Mentorship program, which pairs rising doctors with mentors; Virtual Ortho program, which guides doctors into Ormco Spark and Invisalign clear aligner systems; and Tribe of Doctors, which elevates patient care, were launched in 2023. All are elements of the Individual Growth Engine, a professional development program.
- The 2023 LeGENd Awards recognized the most outstanding dental offices in the organization: Cassity Implants, Little Smiles, Beaumont Family Dentistry, and Gentling Dental Care. Doctor of the Year awards were given to 21 clinicians in the organization.
- Pathway to Partnership is a program through which associate dentists can become equity owners in Gen4 by growing their clinical skills and business acumen.
Founding principles in action
“Gen4 Dental Partners is not just a business; it’s a community of professionals committed to excellence, continuous learning, and genuine partnership in the ever-evolving field of dentistry,” Dr. Ellingson said.That vision is brought to life through Gen4’s 10 Partnership Pillars – guiding principles that undergird the organization.
From its founding, CEO Lamonte Jensen said, Gen4 has had a distinctively collaborative business model that combines the best ideas of all its dentist partners to form a doctor-centric, patient-obsessed organization. The best traits of individual practices are preserved – each practice keeps its own way of caring for patients. And the best traits of large businesses are added –robust IT platform, HR, accounting, marketing support, and – most of all – a cadre of highly skilled, motivated, and collaborative dentists.
“We believe in partners. We believe in a doctor-centric model. We believe in collaboration,” he declared.
Looking forward to 2024, Dr. Ellingson said he is confident Gen4’s unique “collaborative doctors” model will continue to attract more premier dental practices across the country. “We want it to be more about the doctors and the patients, and less about the organization.”
About Gen4 Dental Partners
Gen4 Dental Partners, led by CEO Lamonte Jensen and CCO Dr. Mitch Ellingson, is one of the fastest-growing and highly innovative Dental Service Organizations, providing world-class support to leading providers of dental services.
Gen4 was created to challenge the status quo in the consolidation space. The Gen4 Platform is designed to allow dentists and their teams the ability to practice dentistry their way while experiencing the benefits of financial and operational support. https://gen4dental.com/
About Thurston Group
Thurston Group is a Chicago-based private equity firm that focuses on building industry-leading companies in the healthcare and related business service sectors. Thurston has an extensive track record of partnering with physicians and building fast-growing healthcare businesses, including SGA Dental Partners, Gen4 Dental Partners, Smiles Dental, ARC Health, Options Medical Weight Loss, and U.S. Orthopedic Partners. Over its 37-year history, Thurston Group has returned over $4B of invested capital. For additional information about Thurston Group, please visit Thurston Group’s website at www.thurstongroup.com.