Benchmarking

New dentists in affiliated private practices have an average of $309,355 of educational debt plus an additional $78,188 in other debt, the highest of any practice setting, according to research from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute. 

Orthodontists can make more than triple the average household income in several states, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. 

The East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine is the cheapest dental school for first-year, non-resident dental students, according to data from the American Dental Association. 

The University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry is the most expensive dental school for first-year dental students, according to data from the American Dental Association. 

The University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., has the most expensive dental school in the U.S., with tuition at $121,750 per year, according to data from the American Dental Association.

There are 5,570 periodontists in the U.S., according to data from KFF. 

There are 5,724 endodontists in the U.S., according to data from KFF. 

There are 159,741 general dentists in the U.S., according to data from the KFF. 

There are 10,906 orthodontists and dentofacial orthopedic practitioners in the U.S., according to data from KFF. 

The median net income for endodontists in private practice was $279,040 in 2021, according to data collected by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.