Irvine, CA – January 7, 2019 —

Smile Brands Inc. announced today it has made a strategic investment in support of DecisionOne Dental Partners based in Schaumburg, Illinois. The investment will help fund DecisionOne’s continued growth and acquisitions throughout Chicagoland and neighboring states. DecisionOne Dental Partners management will continue to lead and operate the business.

Smile Brands Inc. is a leading dental support organization (DSO) that provides business support services to over 400 locations across 17 states. Smile Brands is able to provide DecisionOne significant expansion capital as well as access to additional business support services. CEO Dr. AJ Acierno of DecisionOne and CEO Steve Bilt of Smile Brands realize the future of mid-market DSOs is to have an investment and business support partner like Smile Brands who has services that can help accelerate growth while continuing to meet the needs of providers and patients.

DecisionOne was founded in 2011 by two brothers, Dr. AJ Acierno and Dr. Mike Acierno. It is one of the most respected and fastest growing dental support organizations in the U.S. with approximately 30 affiliated practices in the Chicago area. By blending the values of a solo practitioner dental office with the business efficiencies of larger group practices, DecisionOne has created a proven partnership model that puts patients first while helping providers navigate the increasing complexity of the dental landscape.

“Many DSOs help remove day to day management headaches allowing providers to focus on clinical excellence. At DecisonOne, we go beyond standard DSO administrative support by building offices around our doctors instead of simply inserting providers into cookie cutter offices,” explains Dr. AJ Acierno. “This approach allows us to create individual office cultures that result in lasting patient relationships. We believe strongly that building patient relationships based on trust is the key to guaranteeing access to care and making patients better.”

The world of dentistry has changed dramatically over the past several decades. Dental students are graduating with high amounts of debt, technologic advancements require higher overhead and payment administration is increasingly complex. More and more providers are looking to affiliate with a dental support organization, but finding the right fit is imperative. Smile Brands CEO, Steve Bilt understands the importance of there being a strong cultural connection in any partnership.

“Today there are hundreds of DSOs and thousands of group practices in the U.S.,” says Bilt, “Each group has its unique affiliation model in terms of financial compensation, business support and management processes, but the success of a partnership comes down to whether the groups share a common set of values. Our investment behind DecisionOne is as much about shared values as it is about business expansion. I am confident that Drs. AJ, Mike and the rest of the DecisionOne team will further our mission of delivering Smiles for Everyone®.”

Dr. Mike Acierno, Chief Dental Officer, insists that clinical autonomy is key in a patient-first delivery model. “After dental school, I went into private practice and AJ took the DSO path,” explains Mike. “That gives us a unique perspective on the industry and how to improve the lives of our patients, team members and providers. When it came time to find a partner, we needed to find someone as committed to our patient care model as we are.”

About Smile Brands 
Based in Irvine California, Smile Brands Inc. is one of the largest providers of support services to dental groups in the United States. Smile Brands provides expansion capital and access to support services to independent dental groups and DSOs. The organization delivers comprehensive business support services through exclusive long term agreements with affiliate dental groups, so dentists can spend more time caring for their patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. Smile Brands supports over 400 Bright Now!® Dental, Monarch Dental®, Castle Dental®, A+ Dental Care, OneSmile Dental, Johnson Family Dental, P3 Dental Group, and DecisionOne Dental offices in 17 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit www.smilebrands.com.

About DecisionOne Dental Partners 
DecisionOne Dental is a network of carefully curated dental professionals who value personal doctor-patient relationships and high quality of patient care. Over the last decade, the growing complexity of the dental sector has diluted doctors’ focus and led to a reduction in the perception of patient care and trust. DecisionOne Dental Partners was founded by brothers Dr. AJ and Dr. Mike Acierno, both practicing family dentists, who believe dentistry can thrive locally while adhering to the core values that support patients above all else. With approximately 30 current locations, DecisionOne is the fastest growing dental group in Illinois. The Chicago Tribune named them one of the top midsized workplaces in the Chicago area for 2018, plus Acierno Dental in Schaumburg was recently featured in Chicago magazine’s “2018 Top Doctors” issue named as a top Chicagoland dental practice. For more information about DecisionOne Dental or to find a dentist, visit www.decisiononedental.com.