An arrangement in which a dental support organization (DSO) provides back-office, purchasing, and administrative services to a practice — or, in many cases, acquires partial or full ownership of it — in exchange for a share of revenue or equity. Affiliation can mean anything from a light management-services contract to a full buyout; owners considering it generally weigh the loss of full autonomy against the purchasing scale, capital access, and administrative relief a DSO offers.
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