Kern Family Dentistry

What Kern Family Dentistry does

Kern Family Dentistry is a privately held, single-location dental practice founded in 1997 by Dr. Joe Kern in Grafton, North Dakota. The practice delivers comprehensive general, family, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dental services to patients of all ages, drawing clientele from Grafton and surrounding communities including Grand Forks, Cavalier, and Auburn. The full service portfolio spans preventive care (check-ups, cleanings, digital X-rays), restorative treatments (CEREC one-visit crowns, dental implants, implant dentures, traditional dentures, root canal therapy, crowns and bridges), cosmetic procedures (bonding, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening), and specialized services (sleep apnea oral appliance therapy, TMJ therapy).

The practice operates with a defined clinical technology stack anchored by a CEREC CAD/CAM system for in-office design and milling of same-day custom crowns, eliminating the traditional multi-visit temporary crown workflow. Supporting technology includes digital X-rays for reduced-radiation imaging, a soft-tissue laser for periodontal and gum recontouring work, and The Wand anesthesia delivery system for patient comfort. Clinical amenities such as operatory-mounted TVs and digital impressions round out the equipment profile. The firm has no mobile app, public API, disclosed patents, or AI/ML capabilities.

The business model is a standard professional services dental practice: revenue is generated per procedure and billed directly to patients or processed through dental insurance. The practice is in-network with multiple PPO carriers (Delta Dental, BlueCross BlueShield, MetLife, AFLAC, Cigna, United Concordia) and also accepts out-of-network claims. Patient acquisition is driven by community reputation, online reviews (Google, Facebook, Rate A Biz), and local SEO targeting surrounding ND communities. Financing options are offered for uninsured or high out-of-pocket cases. The firm is independently owned by Dr. Kern with no parent company, private equity backing, or institutional investment disclosed.

Name

Kern Family Dentistry

Legal name

Kern Family Dentistry

Website

https://kernfamilydentistry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kern Family Dentistry is a privately owned, single-location general and cosmetic dental practice in Grafton, ND, founded in 1997 by Dr. Joe Kern, serving families and individuals from Grafton and surrounding North Dakota communities with preventive, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dental care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

General Dentistry Services

NAICS

Offices of Dentists (621210)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Family Dentistry (Multi-Disciplinary In-Office General Care) (HLABAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency/Urgent General Dentistry (Walk-In/After-Hours General Care) (HLABAAAJ)

Keywords

• General dentistry services
• Cosmetic dental care
• Restorative dentistry
• Family dental practice
• Dental implant services

Headquarters

HQ city

Grafton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dental Services Revenue: Revenue generated from comprehensive dental care services including preventive, restorative, and cosmetic procedures. Services billed directly to patients or processed through dental insurance.
2. Dental Insurance Processing: In-network provider with multiple PPO insurance plans including Delta Dental, BlueCross BlueShield, MetLife, AFLAC, Cigna, and United Concordia. Collects patient co-pays and files insurance claims on behalf of patients.
3. Flexible Financing: Offers financing options for patients without insurance or with high out-of-pocket expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kern Family Dentistry provides comprehensive preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental services for patients of all ages from a single Grafton, North Dakota office. Core offerings include routine check-ups and cleanings, CEREC same-day dental crowns, dental implants and implant-retained dentures, traditional dentures, root canal therapy, crowns and bridges, porcelain veneers, dental bonding, teeth whitening, sleep apnea oral appliance therapy, and TMJ therapy. The practice is in-network with major PPO dental insurers and offers financing for patients without insurance.

Product overview

Kern Family Dentistry is a comprehensive dental practice offering a full range of preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental services. The practice operates as a single-location general and cosmetic dentistry practice in Grafton, ND, providing services for patients of all ages. The core service portfolio includes preventive care (check-ups, cleanings, digital X-rays), restorative treatments (CEREC one-visit crowns, dental implants, implant dentures, traditional dentures, root canal therapy, crowns and bridges), and cosmetic procedures (dental bonding, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening). Additional specialized services include sleep apnea oral appliance therapy and TMJ therapy. The practice emphasizes same-day dentistry through CEREC CAD/CAM technology and accepts most major dental insurance plans including Delta Dental, BlueCross BlueShield, MetLife, AFLAC, Cigna, and United Concordia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preventive Dentistry Routine dental check-ups, professional cleanings, digital X-rays, and oral health maintenance services for patients of all ages to prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
• Restorative Dentistry Comprehensive restorative dental treatments to repair damaged or decayed teeth, encompassing crowns, bridges, fillings, and root canal therapy.
• CEREC One-Visit Crowns Same-day dental crown restorations prepared, designed, milled in-office, and placed using CEREC CAD/CAM technology in a single appointment, eliminating the need for temporaries or multiple visits.
• Dental Implants Titanium implant posts surgically placed into the jawbone to replace missing tooth roots, supporting custom dental crowns or prosthetics for patients with missing teeth.
• Implant Dentures Denture prosthetics anchored by dental implants for enhanced stability and support compared to traditional removable dentures.
• Dentures Full and partial removable prosthetic teeth replacements for patients missing some or all of their natural teeth.
• Root Canal Therapy Endodontic treatment to remove infected pulp from inside a tooth, relieving pain and preserving the natural tooth structure.
• Dental Crowns and Bridges Tooth-shaped caps that cover damaged teeth and dental bridges that replace one or more missing teeth by anchoring to adjacent teeth.
• Cosmetic Dentistry Smile enhancement procedures including dental bonding, porcelain veneers, and professional teeth whitening to improve tooth aesthetics.
• Dental Bonding Composite resin application to repair chips, cracks, gaps, or discoloration in teeth for aesthetic improvement.
• Porcelain Veneers Thin ceramic shells bonded to the front surface of teeth to correct chips, gaps, stains, and minor misalignment.
• Teeth Whitening Professional whitening treatments to brighten and lighten stained or discolored teeth using in-office or take-home systems.
• Emergency Dentistry Urgent dental care for toothaches, broken teeth, knocked-out teeth, and other acute dental emergencies with same-day appointments when possible.
• Sleep Apnea Treatment Oral appliance therapy for snoring and sleep apnea to help patients breathe more easily during sleep.
• TMJ Therapy Treatment for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ/TMD) to relieve jaw pain, headaches, and associated symptoms.

Quantifiable outcome

• One-day restoration completion with CEREC vs traditional multi-visit approach
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Delta DentalcoreOthersIn-network dental insurance provider. Practice processes and files claims for Delta Dental patients, offering discounted in-network rates for covered services including preventive, restorative, and emergency dental care.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Tend: Modern, design-forward dental startup opening tech-enabled urban offices focused on patient experience. Comparable as a forward-looking competitor investing in digital workflows and hospitality-style service, in contrast to Kern Family Dentistry's traditional small-town model.

Direct peers

• Affordable Dentures & Implants: National dental chain focused on dentures, implants, and extractions delivered in single office settings. Directly comparable to the implant denture, denture, and implant services Kern Family Dentistry provides.
• ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers: Network of dental implant centers specializing in full-arch and single-tooth implant restoration. Comparable as a competing provider of implant services that Kern Family Dentistry also offers.

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Dental Services: Dental support organization partnering with offices nationwide on operations, technology, and clinical support. Comparable as a competing model for general dentistry practices evaluating affiliation vs. remaining independent.
• Great Expressions Dental Centers: Multi-location dental group providing preventive, restorative, cosmetic, and specialty services. Comparable in service mix and patient demographic to a family-focused general dentistry practice like Kern Family Dentistry.
• MB2 Dental: Dental partnership organization grouping hundreds of affiliated practices across multiple states. Comparable as an alternative growth and affiliation path for independent practice owners like Dr. Kern.
• Heartland Dental: Largest U.S. dental support organization supporting thousands of dentist offices. Comparable because it provides the same general and family dentistry services Kern Family Dentistry offers, but through a network of independently branded practices.
• Smile Brands: Dental support organization backing hundreds of affiliated offices including brands like Monarch Dental and Bright Now! Dental. Comparable as an alternative affiliation partner for an independent general dentistry practice.
• Aspen Dental Management: Large DSO operating hundreds of branded dental offices across the U.S. Comparable as a multi-location general dentistry provider offering preventive, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency services, although at vastly greater scale than Kern Family Dentistry.
• Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics: Multi-location dental group offering general, cosmetic, orthodontic, and implant services with broad insurance acceptance. Comparable in breadth of services and insurance-driven patient acquisition model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Kernfamilydentistry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kern Family Dentistry