Dental practice expenses rose higher than revenue in 2022, according to data from the American Dental Association.
Median annual practice expenses for general practitioner owners were $540,928 between 2013 and 2017. That number hit $582,730 between 2018 and 2022, a 7.7 percent increase.
Median annual practice revenue for general practitioner owners was $741,195 between 2013 and 2017. That number rose to $757,549 between 2018 and 2022, a 2.2 percent increase.
Rising expenses also partially led the average net income for general dentists in private practice to decline by 7 percent in 2022.
Additionally, the new data shows general dentists are busier than ever. The ADA reported that general dentists worked 4.5 percent more hours in 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic average. In 2021 and 2022, between 37 and 38 percent of general dentists said they were too busy to treat all people requesting appointments or were overworked.