Dental Practices NAICS 621210
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Industry Summary
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.
Recent Developments
Apr 1, 2025 - Data Breach Hits DSO
- A dental service organization has reported a data breach that involved unauthorized access to the health information of up to 173,430 individuals, according to the HIPAA Journal. Tennessee-based Chord Specialty Dental Partners, which provides business and operational support services to more than 60 dental practices in Indiana, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia, confirmed that an unauthorized third party had gained access to several employee email accounts from August 19, 2024, to September 25, 2024. It was confirmed that names, addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, bank account information, payment card information, dates of birth, medical information, and health insurance information were accessed.
- 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.
- 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.
Industry Revenue
Dental Practices
Industry Structure
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
Industry Forecast
Dental Practices Industry Growth
Source: Vertical IQ and Inforum
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