Recent dental school graduates have more confidence in the economic recovery of their practices and the dental industry compared to more established dentists, according to a recent poll by the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute.
The poll was taken as part of the ADA's monthly "Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry" report for the week of May 15. The Health Policy Institute surveyed 1,000 dentists about their confidence in economic recovery over the next six months.
The survey defined "new dentists" as those who graduated between 2013 and 2022 and "established dentists" as those who graduated before 2013.
Dentists' confidence level in economic recovery in May:
Their dental practice (new dentists)
Very confident: 23.9 percent
Somewhat confident: 50.7 percent
Their dental practice (established dentists)
Very confident: 24.6 percent
Somewhat confident: 36.9 percent
The dental care sector (new dentists)
Very confident: 14.1 percent
Somewhat confident: 54.9 percent
The dental care sector (established dentists)
Very confident: 13.1 percent
Somewhat confident: 40.3 percent