ADA: Prospects for US dentists’ earnings ‘remain unclear’
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- Published: Monday, 19 October 2015 07:45
- Written by News Editor
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The American Dental Association (ADA) has found that dentists’ earnings in the USA are not rebounding after the recession. Their research also shows that additional capacity is available in the dental care system, while the supply of dentists is expected to increase. They conclude that the prospects for dentist earnings ‘remain unclear’.
The ADA has published a research brief* showing updated data on dentist earnings throughout 2013.
Key Messages
- Dentists’ earnings are not rebounding despite several years of economic recovery since the Great Recession.
- Low dentist busyness levels and decreased wait times indicate additional capacity is available in the dental care system.
- Given that dental spending is expected to remain sluggish while the supply of dentists is expected to increase, the prospects for dentist earnings remain unclear.
The ADA comments: “Dentistry is a profession in transition. Previous research has shown that a broad set of factors intersected in the early 2000s that led to a decline in average dentist net income. One of these factors is a steady decrease in dental care use among adults which began well before the recent economic downturn and shows no sign of reversing. Recent analysis shows that a “new normal” may be emerging in terms of dental spending, demand for dental care, and dentist earnings.
*Munson M, Vujicic M. Dentist earnings not recovering with economic growth. Health Policy Institute Research Brief. American Dental Association. December 2014. Available from:
http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Research/HPI/Files/HPIBrief_1214_1.ashx.
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