Here are six recent updates that have led to optimism and skepticism in the dental industry:
Good news
Payer reform
Eighteen states have passed a total of 37 dental insurance reform laws so far this year, according to the American Dental Association.
The most common insurance issues addressed in legislation this year include dental loss ratios, virtual credit cards, assignment of benefits and improvements to provider credentialing processes. Overall, the ADA said more than 120 legislative proposals have been filed this year.
Practice owner pay
The average income for dentist owners increased by 9% between 2023 and 2024, according to Dentalpost’s 2025 Dental Salary Survey Report.
The average full-time income of general dentists who are practice owners or partners was $320,316 in 2024, compared to $300,273 in 2023. Additionally, 57% of dentist-owners reported being either satisfied or very satisfied with their total compensation package, including primary wages and salary, bonuses, commissions and benefits.
Preventive care
Preventive dental care utilization has rebounded back to pre–pandemic levels, according to a new Delta Dental report.
Data from the report shows that preventive and diagnostic procedures returned to pre-pandemic levels this year after declining in 2020 and 2021. There has also been an increase in night guard usage as well as indirect restorations, particularly among adults aged 19–64. Additionally, the report highlighted a decrease in fillings as well as emergency and surgical procedures in adults under age 65.
Bad news
General dentist pay
The average net income for general practice dentists in 2024 was $207,980, a decrease of more than $17,000 from 2023, according to data from the ADA. Additional data shows that when adjusted for inflation, average net income has dropped nearly $60,000 since 2010 and median net income has decreased more than $64,000 over the past 14 years.
Tuition increases
First-year dental school tuition has increased by 26.5% for residents and 18% for nonresidents since 2017, according to data from the ADA.
Both resident and nonresident tuition has steadily increased each year since the 2017-18 academic year. For first-year residents, tuition has increased from $47,632 in 2017 to $60,266 in 2024. First-year nonresident tuition rose from $65,266 in 2017 to $77,079 in 2024.
Hygiene shortages
Although recruiting hygienists has become slightly less challenging since 2023, it is still difficult for dentists, according to recent data from the ADA. In the ADA’s “Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry” report for the third quarter of 2025, 74% of dentists reported the recruitment of hygienists as being “extremely challenging.” Roughly 32% of dentists reported having recruited hygienists, while nearly 70% did not.
