Here are six new statistics on dental school tuition, graduation rates, shortage areas and more:
1. Dental school tuition has increased by 26.5% for residents and 18% for nonresidents since 2017, according to data from the American Dental Association.
2. Dentists spent an average of 36.1 hours in the office per week in 2024, slightly down from 2023, according to data from the ADA’s Health Policy Institute. While dentists have averaged a similar amount of hours in the office since 2010, they are spending more in the office not treating patients than in the past.
3. The total number of students graduating from dental assisting programs in the U.S. has steadily declined over the last 10 years, according to data from the ADA.
4. The average net income for general practice dentists in 2024 was $207,980, a decrease of more than $17,000 from 2023, according to data from the ADA.
5. There are currently 7,439 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S., according to new data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
6. About two-thirds of dentists are skeptical of the overall U.S. economy, according to a recent ADA poll. However, dentists are more confident about their particular dental practice and the dental industry, sitting at 53.7% and 44.5%, respectively.
