How Dr. Peter Theurer Scaled Bridge Dental Group While Preserving Autonomy
Building a fast-growing DSO isn’t just about capital or acquisitions—it’s about people. In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host CRO Mike Huffaker of Planet DDS sits down with Dr. Peter Theurer, CEO of Bridge Dental Group, to explore how he built a thriving 26-location dental service organization (DSO) in just two years through a doctor-focused partnership model and strategic business development.
What you’ll learn:
- How a doctor-led approach creates trust and maintains practice autonomy while scaling
- Why securing the right financial partnership early enables successful DSO growth
- The strategic hiring sequence that supports sustainable DSO expansion
- How to create win-win partnerships by setting realistic expectations from day one
- Why maintaining clinical autonomy while providing growth resources attracts younger dentists
- The key metrics and practice profiles that make an ideal DSO partnership candidate
- How to balance practice valuations with creative deal structures in today’s market
- Why focusing on doctor success stories drives sustainable DSO growth
- The importance of building strong financial and operational foundations early
- How to expand service offerings across practices while respecting doctor independence
Episode Highlights
In this episode, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Dr. Peter Theurer to unpack how he scaled to twenty-six locations in just two years without sacrificing clinical autonomy.
Building trust through doctor-led leadership
Dr. Peter Theurer reveals how maintaining clinical autonomy drives rapid DSO growth by allowing doctors to feel ownership over their practices. This approach particularly resonates with younger practitioners who want the benefits of group partnership without sacrificing control. The challenge many DSOs face is balancing standardization with individual practice identity.
Bridge Dental Group addresses this by providing support and resources while letting doctors maintain their leadership role. Their success story includes growing to twenty-six locations in just two years by prioritizing doctor autonomy. This model demonstrates how respecting clinical independence while providing growth resources creates sustainable partnerships.
Strategic leadership team development
Dr. Peter Theurer shares the critical sequence of building a DSO leadership team, starting with financial expertise before operations. Many healthcare organizations struggle with scaling because they lack the right support infrastructure. The first key hire should be a financial analyst who can properly evaluate and structure partnerships.
Following that, bringing in a COO allows the founder to focus on growth while ensuring existing practices receive proper support. This approach enables sustainable scaling while maintaining quality of care and practice satisfaction.
Defining success through customized growth
Dr. Peter Theurer illustrates how successful DSO partnerships must align with each doctor’s unique definition of success. A powerful example shows how one partner grew practice revenue by 40 percent while reducing clinical hours to accommodate family needs. The key challenge is balancing practice growth with personal goals and lifestyle preferences.
Their approach focuses on expanding services and capabilities while respecting the doctor’s desired work-life balance. This strategy demonstrates how flexible partnership models can create win-win scenarios for both practitioners and DSOs.
Creating sustainable practice valuations
Dr. Peter Theurer outlines their ideal practice profile of $2M in collections and $500K in EBITDA, while sharing insights on current market dynamics. Rising practice valuations are creating both opportunities and challenges in the acquisition landscape. DSOs must get creative with deal structures to make partnerships work in the current high-interest-rate environment.
Their approach involves focusing on healthy practices with strong fundamentals rather than chasing quick deals. This strategy has proven successful even as market conditions evolve, showing the importance of sustainable valuation models.
About The Dental Economist Show
Don’t miss insightful conversations with industry experts on the latest trends and top strategies to grow your DSO or dental business. Tune in to The Dental Economist Show each week as we meet at the intersection of profit and purpose.
