About PDS

Our future begins with
the past.

PDS History

PDS at a Glance

Starting a company from scratch isn’t as difficult as it sounds. It’s actually a lot harder. Before Pacific Dental Services® officially started in 1994, so much work and effort went into learning how dental practices operate – from payroll and taxes, to implementing new technology and dealing with insurance companies. So really, the story starts before PDS even opened as a company.

  • PDS started in 1994, supporting its first office in Costa Mesa, CA.
  • By 1997, PDS grew to more than 20 supported offices.
  • Today, PDS has nearly 1,000 supported offices in 24 states.
Pacific Dental Services

Where It All Started

After graduating from UCLA in 1989, PDS Founder, President, and CEO, Stephen Thorne found himself in a tough job market and started working at his father’s Victorville, Calif. dental practice. “My father asked me to put a computer system into his practice, and since I was pretty good with a computer, he asked me to computerize his practice,” Thorne said.

Thorne continued to work for his father, learning the ins-and-outs of dental administration and helping grow the practice from one to five. In 1993, Thorne set out on his own, with a new idea and a vision to create The Greatest Dental Company in America.

PDS Begins

In June 1994, PDS supported its first dental practice in Costa Mesa, Calif. By 1997, the company had grown to support nearly 20 practices. The idea of having someone handle the dental practice’s administrative tasks was taking off with dentists. Dentists wanted to focus on patients and not the everyday aspects of running their own business.

The essence of the PDS business model is simple: enabling clinicians to focus more on the patient; and worry less about the business.

Pacific Dental Services

The Future of PDS

PDS has been on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America for the past 13 years in a row (14 times on the list). We plan to continue our rapid growth, and our vision is to become The Greatest Dental Company in America is quickly becoming a reality. 

Our PDS leadership team is comprised of industry experts in their respective fields. Together they are creating The Greatest Dental Company in America.
We believe in the power of teamwork. Nowhere is that more evident than in our relationships with our vendors who play a vital role in our growth and success.
Our public relations team is committed to providing news and information about our latest efforts to improve not only oral health, but also overall health.

We would love to hear from you.

Have questions or want to learn more? Feel free to get in touch.

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