The Dental Economist Show


What does it take to scale an oral surgery platform without losing sight of the patient, the referral relationship, or the people delivering care?

In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker speaks with Trevor Maurer, CEO of OMS 360, about the systems, data, and partnership model shaping one of dentistry’s fastest-consolidating specialties.

Trevor shares lessons from more than 30 years in multi-site healthcare, including his experience growing SmileSource from 32 practices to more than 750 independently owned locations. He explains why decentralized decision-making, aligned incentives, and support for clinicians at the point of care have remained central to his leadership approach.

The conversation explores the distinct dynamics of oral surgery—from its referral-driven model to the increasing role of same-day treatment, scheduling discipline, and patient access. Trevor also breaks down the OMS 360 operating system, including standard work, time-and-motion studies, team training, and the data that helps practices reduce leakage across the patient journey.

Mike and Trevor discuss how OMS 360 approaches surgeon partnerships, parent-company equity, and practice turnarounds. Trevor shares why the right partner must be growth-oriented, how systems can help doctors increase productivity without working more, and what surgeons should consider before affiliating with a larger platform.


Episode chapters
00:00 From Canada to multi-site healthcare leadership
07:55 Navigating the referral-driven oral surgery model
11:08 Why the opportunity is often inside the existing patient funnel
15:26 The OMS 360 operating system and standard work
20:49 The operational gaps practices do not see
22:13 What time-and-motion studies reveal about patient and surgeon time
26:23 Finding partnership candidates who want to grow
29:42 Recovering after a practice loses 32% of its referral volume
36:38 The case for parent-company equity over local JVs
42:58 What surgeons should consider before joining a platform


Connect with the team:
👉 Mike Huffaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huffaker/
👉 Planet DDS: https://planetdds.com/
👉 Trevor Maurer: trevor@oms360.com


You can also listen to our podcast here:
👉 Apple Podcast: https://shorturl.at/ikORx
👉 Spotify: https://shorturl.at/SMInC


Want to be a guest on The Dental Economist Show?

If you’re a growth-focused leader in the dental business world or someone shaping its future through technology, consulting, or innovation, we’d love to hear from you.

Whether you’re leading a DSO, building the next generation of dental technology, or helping redefine patient care, The Dental Economist Show is where the industry’s leading voices come together to discuss what’s next.


What is The Dental Economist Show?

Hi, dental economists! I’m Mike Huffaker, and this is the Dental Economist Show, where you can join me and my guests in a conversation about the business of dentistry. Get ready to reconsider everything you think you know about growing your dental business as we exchange different ideas and meet at the intersection of profit and purpose.