Nearly 80% of dental practices have reported an increase in claim denials or payer scrutiny over the past 12 months, according to a new report from Zentist.
Zentist released its inaugural 2026 “Dental RCM Trends & Insights” Report Feb. 24. The report examines operational and financial pressures facing practices, including insights from more than 160 revenue cycle and insurance billing professionals, according to a news release from the software company.
Six additional notes from the report:
1. Zentist found that 63% of practices report net collection rates of 90% or higher. However, these results are largely the result of manual labor.
2. Seventy-one percent of respondents cited real-time insurance verification as a primary challenge for their practice.
3. Thirty-one percent of respondents said increasing out-of-pocket costs for patients is the most likely trend to impact dental office performance in 2026.
4. Respondents who reported more claim denials and payer scrutiny largely attributed these increases to policy interpretations around medical necessity and frequency limitations.
5. Fifty-eight percent of dental practices have already adopted or plan to adopt AI and other automation tools this year.
6. Zentist identified differing technology investment trends between solo practices and DSOs, including solo practices prioritizing patient payment technologies and DSOs investing in automation ecosystems.
Click here for the full report.
