Podcast Summary: Travis Zick, Owner of Apex Dental Lab Group

Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Date: September 22, 2025
Host: Ariana Portolattan
Guest: Travis Zick, Co-founder & Director of M&A, Apex Dental Lab Group

Episode Overview

In this engaging conversation, Ariana Portolattan speaks with Travis Zick, co-founder and Director of Mergers & Acquisitions at Apex Dental Lab Group. Together, they explore the major issues and shifts in the dental industry, the current state and future of dental labs, recent legislative movements for transparency, and what excites and worries Zick about the industry. Zick also shares leadership advice for navigating the next challenges in healthcare.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Travis Zick’s Background & Apex Dental Lab Group

[00:18 - 02:00]

• Zick has been deeply involved in the dental lab sector since the mid-2000s, holding varied operational, sales, and managerial roles.
• Apex Dental Lab Group was founded in 2015 as a collaboration among veterans aiming to better serve dentist partners and their patients.
• Apex has grown from 4 Midwest labs to 16 labs nationwide, specializing in a full array of dental products and restorations.

“We are very appreciative and enjoy what we do and being able to work hand in hand with our dental partners and… treat their patients.” — Travis Zick [01:52]

2. Major Issues Facing the Dental Industry

[02:00 - 10:32]

a. Stagnant Market Growth & Rising Expenses

• Despite a brief post-COVID boost, dental practices have seen largely stagnant revenues over the last five years.
• Operating costs, inflation, and high interest rates have only increased, impacting both dental practices and labs.
• Zick points to American Dental Association (ADA) statistics documenting this stagnant period.

“Expenses haven’t been stagnant in any area of our lives and certainly in our businesses… inflationary pressures, high interest rates… have had a detrimental effect… on patient acceptance of larger scale cases.” — Travis Zick [03:16]

b. Demographic and Practice Model Shifts

• There’s an ongoing migration away from solo practitioners to multi-doctor and group practices.
• Only about 16% of dentists are in Dental Service Organizations (DSOs), but over 50% are in multi-doctor or group practices.
• There’s also a generational shift: more young dentists are entering the workforce as baby boomers retire, creating new challenges and opportunities.

c. Consolidation and Labor Shortage in Dental Labs

• The number of US dental labs has decreased for 20 years consecutively; under 5,000 are operating as of 2024.
• The trend is toward larger labs handling more work more efficiently, but with fewer technicians and staff.
• Adoption of new technologies has partly enabled this increased productivity.

“We actually are under 5,000 dental labs in the US as of the end of 2024, which is… a stark reality to see. At the same time… we’re doing more work than ever.” — Travis Zick [07:36]

d. Transparency and Disclosure Concerns

• Over 40% of dental prosthetics sold in the US are made overseas, but transparency in their origin and composition is lacking.
• Only 11 states require labs to disclose the origin of products to dentists; regulation is inconsistent and frequently unenforced.
• Seven states require dentists to use registered labs, yet cross-border business and digital workflows complicate compliance.

“There is a general lack of transparency in that process… We want to continue to bring more education and more light to that so that the doctors know what they’re getting, what’s in it, where it’s coming from, and… who’s responsible if something goes wrong.” — Travis Zick [09:37]

3. Barriers to Greater Legislative Transparency

[10:32 - 13:07]

• Passing state-level disclosure laws is slow, complex, and costly.
• Legislation requires multi-stakeholder coalitions within each state and ongoing advocacy from dental societies and lab associations.
• Support from the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) has been essential, providing leadership and legal expertise.
• Zick illustrates the slow progress: Oregon replicated Washington’s legislation only after six years of effort.

“Any type of legislation is a lengthy and expensive process… It takes a lot of stick-to-itiveness and time that, you know, most people don’t have.” — Travis Zick [11:25]

4. Excitement and Concerns for the Future of Dentistry

[13:07 - 15:53]

Optimism & Opportunities

• Zick is bullish on dentistry’s future, despite setbacks like the Great Recession and COVID.
• Ongoing advancements in dental materials, procedures, and especially technology (e.g., AI, digital workflows) are cause for excitement.
• Dental labs’ relationships with dentists have become more collaborative over the past two decades.

Technology as Double-Edged Sword

• There’s excitement about how AI and digitalization can reshape dentistry, but also concern about associated implementation challenges and industry consolidation.
• The sector is expected to continue consolidating, pushing labs and practices to stay adaptable.

“We’re all, I think, on the very, very precipice of, you know, what does AI technology do not only in this industry, but in the world in the next… 5, 10, 15, 20 years.” — Travis Zick [14:05]

5. Traits Needed for Effective Healthcare Leadership

[15:53 - 17:55]

• Leaders need to be flexible, adaptable, and visionary—balancing current challenges with long-term strategic thinking.
• Navigating immediate issues (regulatory, market, technological) is crucial, while staying ready to change course as circumstances shift.
• Zick stresses the broader importance of these attributes across all healthcare sectors given current uncertainty and rapid change.

“The biggest thing over the next two to three years is really going to have to be flexibility and vision and adaptability.” — Travis Zick [17:23]

Notable Quotes

• On the evolution of dental labs:
  “Our role has transformed so much from when I first started… it’s a very collaborative relationship between the lab and the dentist versus what it was 20 years ago.” — Travis Zick [14:27]

• On legislative advocacy:
  “I know that that’s not being done as it should be, especially with… some of the larger players. And so there's, you know, some concern there.” — Travis Zick [09:36]

• On why only a few states have transparency laws:
  “It’s expensive, it’s time-consuming, it takes a lot of… time that most people don’t have.” — Travis Zick [11:26]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:18 — Travis Zick’s background and history of Apex Dental Lab Group
• 02:14 — Key issues in dentistry: stagnant growth, expenses, and demographics
• 07:36 — Contraction and consolidation in the US dental lab industry
• 09:10 — Lack of transparency and regulatory landscape for dental prosthetics
• 10:54 — Barriers to passing more legislation on lab transparency (state-by-state challenges)
• 13:18 — Zick’s outlook: optimism about technology and concern about consolidation
• 16:20 — Essential leadership traits for healthcare’s near future

Conclusion

Travis Zick offers a comprehensive, industry-informed perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing both dental practitioners and the lab sector. His focus on transparency, adaptability, and collaboration stands out, as does his optimism for technology-driven improvements—tempered by concern over consolidation and regulatory inconsistency. The conversation is a valuable briefing for anyone invested in the business of dentistry and the evolving healthcare landscape.