Phoenix, AZ | April 2025 - Smile Advantage has officially acquired Dental Membership Direct (DMD) in a strategic move that strengthens the future of membership driven dentistry nationwide. The acquisition unites advanced technology, nationally recognized clinical leadership, and a shared mission to help private dental practices thrive beyond insurance constraints.
While Smile Advantage has formally acquired DMD, the collaboration reflects a joint commitment to building a stronger, more scalable future for independent dentistry.
This marks a defining moment in the evolution of membership dentistry, built on real world private practice success and backed by modern infrastructure designed to scale.
Born in Private Practice. Built to Scale.
What makes this acquisition uniquely compelling is its origin story.
Long before Smile Advantage or Dental Membership Direct became national platforms, membership success was being built inside private practices by dentists seeking better solutions for their patients and their businesses.
Among those leaders are:
- Dr. Christopher Phelps
- Dr. Drew Byrnes
- Dr. Jeff Sindelar
- Dr. Matt Kraner
Each experienced firsthand how an in-house membership model could transform practice economics, strengthen patient loyalty, and reduce reliance on declining insurance reimbursements.
For Dr. Phelps, that journey became the foundation for his book, How to Grow Your Dental Membership Plan: Secrets Behind My 1.4 Million Dollars of Growth. In it, he details how implementing a membership strategy added over 1.4 million dollars in revenue to his practice in just two years while helping him break free from insurance dependency.
The book outlines the pressures facing private practices, including increasing insurance control, shrinking reimbursements, and difficulty attracting ideal fee-for-service patients. Membership programs remove those barriers by creating transparency, accessibility, and predictable recurring revenue.
Similarly, Dr. Jeff Sindelar and Dr. Matt Kraner saw their own in-house membership systems organically gain traction through study clubs and peer referrals in the St. Louis dental community. What began as a practical solution for their own offices evolved into a broader industry opportunity, ultimately becoming the foundation for Smile Advantage.
Why the Acquisition Made Strategic Sense
Dental Membership Direct built a respected educational presence and loyal following among fee-for-service dentists. However, as demand grew for deeper automation and integrated payment infrastructure, scaling advanced software became increasingly complex.
Through a mutual dental industry connection, Dr. Phelps was introduced to Ryan Corby, CEO of Smile Advantage. It quickly became clear that Smile Advantage had already invested heavily in building the modern platform DMD needed in order to scale effectively.
Rather than building parallel systems or competing for similar audiences, the decision was made to combine strengths. Smile Advantage formally acquired DMD, aligning DMD’s educational leadership and influence with Smile Advantage’s fully rebuilt technology infrastructure.
The result is one unified organization focused on accelerating membership adoption nationwide.
A “Sweet” Upgrade for DMD Clients
As part of the acquisition, all existing Dental Membership Direct clients are receiving a complimentary transition to Smile Advantage’s newest platform.
For many DMD practices, the move has been described as a sweet upgrade. Practices are transitioning from the original DMD system into a significantly more powerful and modern platform designed for long-term scale.
While DMD laid a strong educational foundation for membership success, Smile Advantage’s rebuilt infrastructure provides enhanced automation, deeper reporting insights, integrated payments, and streamlined support within one cohesive system.
Most importantly, the upgrade preserves what matters most. Practices maintain ownership of their membership programs and patient relationships while gaining stronger tools, improved efficiency, and future-ready scalability.
The transition reflects a commitment not simply to maintain the existing DMD experience, but to elevate it.
Continued Leadership from Dr. Phelps
As part of the acquisition, Dr. Christopher Phelps remains in an active advisory role with Smile Advantage.
He continues to speak nationally at conferences and study clubs, educate practices on membership effectiveness and fee-for-service growth, and advocate for sustainable independence from insurance. He also publicly endorses Smile Advantage as the technology platform best positioned to execute membership strategy at scale.
As CEO of the Cialdini Institute and a respected authority on ethical influence and behavioral science, Dr. Phelps brings both credibility and strategic depth to the organization.
This collaboration reflects a shared belief that membership dentistry is not a passing trend. It is a structural shift in how private practices grow.
A Unified Vision for Independent Dentistry
Under the leadership of CEO Ryan Corby, Smile Advantage is focused on scaling innovation, strengthening strategic partnerships, and positioning the company as the go-to infrastructure for membership driven growth nationwide.
“This acquisition honors what was born inside private practices,” said Corby. “When proven clinical strategy and modern technology come together, we create a smarter and more scalable future for independent dentistry.”
Membership dentistry has matured from a niche concept into a proven growth model. By uniting education, influence, and advanced SaaS infrastructure under one organization, Smile Advantage is building a more predictable and profitable path forward. One that prioritizes recurring revenue, patient loyalty, operational efficiency, and long-term independence from insurance constraints.
The next chapter of membership dentistry begins in Phoenix, with impact reaching private practices nationwide.
For more information, visit smileadvantage.com/dmd.
