Dentists who graduated dental school between 2013 and 2022 are more confident in the economic recovery of their own practice, the dental care sector and the U.S. economy than dentists who graduated before 2013, according to a poll from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The ADA's monthly "Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry" survey for the week of Oct. 16 gauged how confident or skeptical both new and established dentists are in economic recovery.
Here are how the respondents answered on their confidence in the recovery of their practice, the dental sector and the U.S. economy:
Their own dental practice
Very confident: 26.9% for new dentists; 24.4% for established dentists
Somewhat confident: 52.2% for new dentists; 37.4% for established dentists
Neither confident nor skeptical: 9% for new dentists; 18.7% for established dentists
Somewhat skeptical: 9% for new dentists; 15.8% for established dentists
Very skeptical: 2.9% for new dentists; 3.7% for established dentists
The dental care sector in general
Very confident: 20.9% for new dentists; 14.8% for established dentists
Somewhat confident: 47.8% for new dentists; 38.7% for established dentists
Neither confident nor skeptical: 16.4% for new dentists; 22.7% for established dentists
Somewhat skeptical: 10.4% for new dentists; 20.1% for established dentists
Very skeptical: 4.9% for new dentists; 3.7% for established dentists
The U.S. economy
Very confident: 7.5% for new dentists; 4.7% for established dentists
Somewhat confident: 34.3% for new dentists; 24% for established dentists
Neither confident nor skeptical: 20.9% for new dentists; 18.2% for established dentists
Somewhat skeptical: 28.4% for new dentists; 33.6% for established dentists
Very skeptical: 9% for new dentists; 19.5% for established dentists