Dentists spent an average of 36.1 hours in the office per week in 2024, slightly down from 2023, according to data from the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute.
Of the around 36 hours in the office, dentists spent an average of 30.5 hours with patients and 5.5 hours in the office while not treating patients.
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.
Here is the average number of hours dentists worked in the office each year since 2010, according to the ADA’s November report.
2010: 34.9 hours
2011: 34.5 hours
2012: 34.7 hours
2013: 34.7 hours
2014: 34.6 hours
2015: 34.9 hours
2016: 35.4 hours
2017: 35.5 hours
2018: 34.8 hours
2019: 35.7 hours
2020: 30.5 hours
2021: 35.6 hours
2022: 36.1 hours
2023: 36.8 hours
2024: 36.1 hours
