A new patient waited 8.1 days for an initial dentist appointment in 2019, while new patients in 2022 waited 16 days, according to data collected by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The data was gathered as part of the ADA's annual "Survey of Dental Practice" and includes both general and specialty dentists.
Here ares the number of days patients of record and new patients waited for an appointment for each year since 2000:
Note: Data was not available for 2020.
2000: Patient of record: 8.8 days; new patient: 10 days
2001: Patient of record: 9.3 days; new patient: 10.8 days
2002: Patient of record: eight days; new patient: 9.7 days
2003: Patient of record: 7.8 days; new patient: 9.1 days
2004: Patient of record: 7.8 days; new patient: 9.1 days
2005: Patient of record: 7.6 days; new patient: 8.7 days
2006: Patient of record: 6.8 days; new patient: 8.1 days
2007: Patient of record: 6.7 days; new patient: 8.2 days
2008: Patient of record: 5.9 days; new patient: 7.4 days
2009: Patient of record: 5.4 days; new patient: 6.3 days
2010: Patient of record: 5.3 days; new patient: 6.6 days
2011: Patient of record: 4.7 days; new patient: 5.7 days
2012: Patient of record: 4.6 days; new patient: 5.4 days
2013: Patient of record: 4.8 days; new patient: 5.7 days
2014: Patient of record: 4.9 days; new patient: 6.2 days
2015: Patient of record: 5.2 days; new patient: 6.5 days
2016: Patient of record: 5.3 days; new patient: 6.9 days
2017: Patient of record: 5.3 days; new patient: 6.8 days
2018: Patient of record: 5.3 days; new patient: 6.9 days
2019: Patient of record: 6.1 days; new patient: 8.1 days
2021: Patient of record: 9.5 days; new patient: 13.9 days
2022: Patient of record: 10.3 days; new patient: 16 days