The number of dental professional shortage areas in the U.S. has increased from 6,820 earlier this year to 6,861 as of Aug. 5, according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
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Ameritas PrimeStar Complete was ranked as the best all-around dental plan for 2024 by CNN Underscored.
Dental hygienists earn nearly double the average annual wage of dental assistants in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The number of orthodontists in the U.S. increased from 5,990 in 2019 to 6,400 in 2023, an increase of 6.8%.
The number of general dentists in the U.S. increased from 110,730 in 2019 to 121,640 in 2023, an increase of 9.8%.
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General dentists, prosthodontists and orthodontists were included on Stacker's list of the 50 highest-paying jobs in the U.S.
The average annual salary of dental hygienists in the states where dental hygienists earn the most has increased by nearly $10,000 over the past five years, a similar increase to the U.S. average for the profession.
The average practice expense per dentist for owner dentists in private practice was more than $530,000 in 2023, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
Direct payments from private insurance carriers made up the highest percentage of gross billings for dentists in private practice, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
Being the owner of a practice, DSO affiliation and the size of the dental practice all have an impact on busyness levels for dentists, according to a survey conducted by the American Dental Association.