Dental Practices
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 122,700 dental practices in the US are in the business of providing “oral health,” including hygiene or preventative care, restorative treatments, and oral surgery. 78% of dentists are in general dentistry, while orthodontists represent 5% and oral surgeons and pediatric dentists each represent 4%. The rest are specialty practices, such endodontists or periodontists. About half of dentists are in solo practices.
Weak Economy Lowers Demand
Demand for dental services had been thought to be “recession-proof,” but the past recession and recent pandemic saw a drop in dental appointments and billings.
New Treatment Technologies
Technological advances continue to increase quality, enhance patient comfort, and speed the delivery of dental treatments.
Industry size & Structure
The average dental practice employs about 8-9 workers and generates about $1 million in annual revenue.
- There are about 122,700 dental practices in the US that employ 1,027,000 workers and generate annual revenue of $158 billion.
- Dentists must be licensed by their State to practice. This requires a bachelor's degree, 4 years of dental school, and passing written and practical exams. Specialty licenses typically require another 2-4 years of postgraduate education and up to 2 years of a residency program. These licensing requirements create a significant barrier to entry for the industry.
- 78% of dentists are in general dentistry. Orthodontists represent 5% and oral surgeons and pediatric dentists each represent 4%, with the rest in other specialties (endodontists, periodontists, etc.).
- The average practice has 1-2 dentists and about 2 dental hygienists and 3 dental assistants for each dentist.
Industry Forecast
Dental Practices Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Mar 3, 2025 - AI Tools may Boost Billing Efficiency
- AI-driven automation in the front office is capable of eliminating inefficiencies, reducing costs, and enabling dental professionals to focus on what they do best, according to Dental Economics. Tools powered both by human billing experts and cutting-edge AI technology helps dental practices optimize their revenue operations and improve cash flow by ensuring that a claim meets the ever-changing rules and scrutiny criteria of each insurance company. They also help to advise the people that work chair side and in the front-office on how to submit undeniably perfect claims leading to up to 10% higher collection for work already performed which ends up being more than 30% additional profit for the practice.
- The average full-time income for dental practice managers decreased 6.5% between 2023 and 2024, according to Dentalpost's 2025 Dental Salary Survey Report. More than 24 million Americans live in dental care shortage areas, according to a December 2024 study published by JAMA Network. More than 21% of US adults do not have dental insurance, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute. Nearly a third of dental hygienists plan to retire within the next six years, according to Dentalpost's 2025 Dental Salary Survey Report.
- The dental care industry is experiencing a notable shift toward same-day dentistry, according to Forbes. Most traditional dental procedures have historically required multiple office visits and long waiting times, creating a gap between the diagnosis period and actual treatment. A new wave of innovative treatment solutions is allowing certain procedures to be completed in one dental office visit. Advanced imaging technology allows dental professionals to design and place prosthetics in one appointment and with noticeably greater precision, according to Forbes. Patients now avoid the unpleasant and inconvenient ordeal of wearing temporary restorations and prosthetics. Chairside 3D printing is another advanced technology that enables dental practices to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively by promoting an in-house workflow. 3D printing streamlines the creation of custom-fit dental prosthetics, including crowns, dentures, implants, aligners, retainers and more. When leveraged with intraoral scanners, this level of customization not only improves treatment effectiveness but also reduces the need for multiple appointments.
- Dental practice employment decreased slightly and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first month of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Dental Practices slightly raised their prices during 2024, according to the BLS. Dental practice sales are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 4.98% from 2025 to 2029, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund.
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