Some of the top priorities dentists have planned for their practices in 2026 include adding staff and dropping out of insurance networks, according to new data from the American Dental Association.
The ADA released its “Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry” report for the fourth quarter of 2025, highlighting key trends and statistics on the workforce, practice operations and financial performance.
The ADA surveyed 705 dentists on how likely they are to take certain actions during 2026, including investing in new software, adding or reducing staff and dropping insurance networks.
Here is how dentists responded:
Make major equipment purchases
Very likely: 8.9%
Somewhat likely: 15.5%
Neither likely nor unlikely: 15.3%
Somewhat unlikely: 17.3%
Very unlikely: 43%
Invest in new software
Very likely: 4.8%
Somewhat likely: 12.1%
Neither likely nor unlikely: 16.2%
Somewhat unlikely: 17.4%
Very unlikely: 49.5%
Add staff
Very likely: 17.9%
Somewhat likely: 24.4%
Neither likely nor unlikely: 13.2%
Somewhat unlikely: 13.3%
Very unlikely: 31.2%
Reduce staff
Very likely: 1.5%
Somewhat likely: 7.1%
Neither likely nor unlikely: 14.8%
Somewhat unlikely: 17.6%
Very unlikely: 59%
Join insurance networks
Neither likely nor unlikely: 9.4%
Somewhat unlikely: 10.1%
Very unlikely: 77.3%
Drop out of some insurance networks
Very likely: 14.6%
Somewhat likely: 20.4%
Neither likely nor unlikely: 29.1%
Somewhat unlikely: 10.9%
Very unlikely: 25%
Other
Very likely: 25.5%
Somewhat likely: 9.2%
Neither likely nor unlikely: 34.8%
Somewhat unlikely:
Very unlikely: 28.1%
