Here are five recent updates pointing to shifts in how dentists are interacting with insurers and other trends in the field:
1. Dental advocates have helped pass 400 dental insurance reform laws across the country over the last few years, according to the American Dental Association.
2. The ADA has continued to urge Congress to strengthen oversight of dental insurance markets while ensuring that fraud prevention and competition policies do not impose unnecessary burdens on independent dental practices.
3. About 23% of dentists have dropped out of insurance networks so far this year, according to a report from the ADA.
4. Dental payer reimbursement rates are lagging behind inflation, according to the American Dental Association’s “State of the U.S. Dental Economy” report for the second quarter of 2026.
5. Although economic confidence is trending upward for dentists, low reimbursement rates and other insurance challenges remain a cause for concern in the field.
