Corporate dentistry, a prison without walls. - General Dentist PDS Health Employee Review

2.0
Aug 13, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Joined PDS after a year in private practice. Thought I'd try it out in my quest to find where I fit in to the dental world. Pros: tons of CE and most is useful, good Cerec training and experience, no manipulation of treatment plans or pressure to over treat, lots of new patients, very few emergency calls comparatively

Cons

Cons: Low compensation levels (associates start at 24% of production.) Office manager RUNS the front office and lead dental assistant RUNS the back office, leaving the owner doctor as basically a puppet who has some say, but pretty much does what he's told. The lead assistant has a tight budget to stick to which can lead to weekly "what do you mean we dont have bite registration!?" conversations. The assistant replies with, "oh that should be here by Tuesday..." BUT I NEED IT NOW!!! That and lack of instruments yo keep up with a busy day. Maybe the most financial obstacle is the HORRIBLE insurance contracts (you'll do a crap load of $400 crowns, $42 fillings, and a fair share of $0 prophys, sealants, and exts.) Really makes it hard to get your production up when your working your butt off for ridiculous insurance contracts. PDS retards your growth as a clinician as everything that can, "should" be referred to the many specialists that come to the office 1-3Xs a month. I wonder if I can still do molar endo and difficult extractions as I haven't done them in a year. Technically you "can" do these procedures, though it's difficult to do a root canal when your assistants don't know how to set or assist for one. Not to mention getting into the middle of one and being told you don't have size 31 mm files. Owners can only buy 49% of the business and will always be pawns in upper managements game. Make no mistake, my owner doctor makes a decent living but he isn't the boss. He does what he's told by the manager, lead assistant, regional manager, regional partner, and Steve Thorne. Lots of people to bow too and even more mouths to feed.

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PDS Health Response
10y
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are glad to hear that the PDS® training courses and continuing education are useful and have been a positive part of your experience at a PDS®-supported office. We enjoy hearing feedback that affirms PDS®’s goals such as bringing lots of new patients to each office and allowing owners and associates to present treatment options to patients that resolve the overall state of their patients’ oral health. In regards to your comments about front and back office leadership…we feel that by providing all teammates in each supported-office with an opportunity to contribute to overall production not only builds office cohesion, but also allows for a constant, open discussion of ideas, suggestions and concerns amongst the team. We apologize that this business dynamic does not seem to suffice your standards. Your honest feedback helps us ensure authenticity and transparency within the company. That being said, we will pass along your suggestions to our leadership team. Thank you.

Explore other reviews about PDS Health

5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Recently, I had the honor of celebrating my 15th year at PDS Health. I am still here due to the strong ethics and values this company holds. During COVID, I saw our CEO express vulnerability, compassion, and honesty, make hard, difficult decisions, but led us through a tough time, still prioritizing patients. Through my many years at PDS Health, I have held roles of Healthcare Coordinator, worked my way up to Operations Manager, then promoted to Regional Trainer. Most recently, I was promoted to Career Specialist (Recruiter) and have held this role for the past three years. As I stepped into my 15th year, I was honored with a Tenure gift – a weekend stay, plus flight, at a PDS Health company property. This happened to fall on Valentine's Day and my wedding anniversary this year. I am honored to work with a Team that does not hold achievements such as Tenure lightly and celebrates and honors achievements. Last year, my Team had a phenomenal year. We hold the value that “we fail and succeed together”. The Region grew, and the new doctor hires that our Owner brought into their private practices gave cause for celebration! My role as Career Specialist focuses on the sourcing and initial assessment – the candidate “quarterback”. I could not have been more surprised when my team nominated me for an “Extraordinary Performance” award, specifically as Regional Support to our Owners, Regional Managers, Directors, and Partners. We have now grown to over 15,000+ employees, so being nominated for these awards is rare, and winning is even more shocking! As a winner, PDS Health sent my sister and me to Las Vegas for another all-expense-paid trip to celebrate. Additionally, as a winner/nominee in this category, I also received an additional all-expense-paid trip to “Pinnacle Club” in the Bahamas! My husband and I just returned from this amazing trip, and I am still in shock and awe of what a blessing and honor it was. Having been in these rooms –XP Awards & Pinnacle Club - I took a step back to view the room, surrounded by top-tier talent, where the number one goal was to create healthier, happier patients. I could not be more thankful to be in a Company who regards values and ethics, patient care and satisfaction, and that truly leads vs. manages others. Recently, we changed our name from Pacific Dental Services to PDS Health, as we now have offices that are both medical and dental, fully integrated, caring for patients’ whole-body health. It is amazing to see patients’ lives transformed and lives saved by our compassionate, amazing Providers who are educating patients on the link between the mouth and how it affects the body. Pros – this is a company that values its people, gives opportunities to grow, and celebrates the wins – BIG TIME!

Cons

I should have applied sooner!

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PDS Health Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your experience and for celebrating 15 years with PDS Health. We’re grateful for your dedication and the many ways you’ve contributed to our mission of helping patients live healthier, happier lives. It’s inspiring to hear how opportunities for growth, recognition, and service have shaped your journey. Your commitment to our values and to supporting patients, providers, and teams is deeply appreciated.
1.0
May 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

the office is law compliant

Cons

They say it is ethical environment, but in reality it is not like this. They talk about work-life balance, but they do not care if you become very tired or burned out. The ceo, regional manager and higher management, they do not really care about you or your dental license. For them it is better you act not ethical and make more money, instead of being ethical and making less. They show nice image outside, but everything is about money, no matter who gets hurt. For many years they do not increase compensation for dentists they call partners, but at the same time they charge them big amounts, so people cannot keep what they earn. If one or two businesses fail, they do not care, because they use it like write-off, and you are left paying the cost. They say you have auto-nomy, but actually they push you to over-diagnose. If you do not follow this, you are pushed out. Also there is big issue that management people are not from healthcare background. They think mostly about profit, and real patient care becomes second priority. They make millions and millions from dentist backs, and they do not care about you unless you are part of their close inner group in each area.

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PDS Health Response
1mo
Thank you for sharing your perspective and for your years with PDS Health. We understand the importance of feeling supported in the workplace and recognize the concerns you’ve raised around workload, leadership, and the overall clinician experience. At PDS Health, we are committed to supporting patient-centered care through a culture of service, learning, and continuous improvement. We encourage team members to raise concerns with our People Services team so feedback can be reviewed and used to help improve processes and support across our supported offices.
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