Insurance issues, the workforce shortage and increasing costs are some of dentists’ top concerns for their practices at the start of 2026, according to a survey from the American Dental Association.
More than half of respondents said low insurance reimbursements and staffing, recruiting and retention were among their top challenges this year.
The ADA’s Health Policy surveyed 751 respondents on the top three challenges they expect to face in 2026.
The responses were published in the organization’s “Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry” report for the fourth quarter of 2025.
Here are the percentages of respondents who said each issue will be among their top three challenges this year:
- Low insurance reimbursement, denials, Medicaid and Medicare and other insurance issues: 55.3%
- Staffing, recruitment and retention and workforce shortages: 54.2%
- Increasing expenses and overhead costs: 41.5%
- Maintaining/increasing patient volume, keeping schedules full and revenue to operate: 31.8%
- The economy in general and inflation: 9.7%
- Patients refusing or delaying treatment, not seeking preventive care or unable to pay: 8.8%
- Keeping up with patient demands: 5.7%
- Work‑life balance for staff and minimizing burnout/stress: 5.1%
- New technology and equipment updates: 4.5%
- Government oversight, regulations and mandates: 3.9%
- Competition with other practices and dental service organizations: 3.6%
- Considering retirement, practice transitions or selling practice: 3.1%
- Changes in patients’ dental plans and covered services: 2.7%
- Influence of insurance companies on treatment decisions: 2.3%
- Patient communication issues: 1.3%
- Current administration and policies: 0.8%
- Spending too much time on administrative tasks: 0.8%
- Dropping some insurance networks or remaining out‑of‑network: 0.7%
- Connecting patients with specialists: 0.4%
- Direction of the ADA: 0.1%
- Miscellaneous: 7.3%
