Benchmarking

The average monthly premium for dental insurance is $38.08 in Arkansas, the lowest-ranked state for dental health.

Private practice dentists spent an average of more than 1,750 hours in dental practices in 2023 the highest average since 2000, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Nearly 30% of dentists said they were "not busy enough" with their workload in 2023, an increase of more than 8% from 2022, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

The average hourly gross billings for solo dentists in private practice was $572 per practice hour in 2023, an increase over $539 per hour in 2022, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

The average net income of private practice dentists is $245,060, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

The average monthly premium for dental insurance is $42.17 in Illinois, the top-ranked state for dental health.

Dentists can earn an average of $216,280 in Washington, the highest-paying state for dentists on the West Coast, compared to $234,670 in Maryland, the highest-paying state on the East Coast.

There are currently 6,842 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S., according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. 

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons earn about $173.79 per hour in North Carolina, the state with the highest average hourly wage for oral and maxillofacial surgeons, compared to the state's minimum wage of $7.25.

West Virginia is the most expensive state for dental insurance, according to a new ranking from LV Dental Braces.