Elsevier

Dental Abstracts

Volume 60, Issue 5, September–October 2015, Pages 252-254
Dental Abstracts

The Big Picture
Past, present, and future of dental practice

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Background

Major shifts have occurred in the pool of dental school applicants, in factors that influence the number of dental school applicants, and in how applicant levels influence enrollment. The impact of these trends in enrollment on dental workforce trends was explored.

Numbers, Gender Distribution, and Practice Status

Between 1960 and 2014 the number of dentists in the United States increased 127%. Annual increases have been largely consistent. The total number of dentists expected to be practicing in 2020 is just under 220,000. The increases in the number of graduates from dental school and in the age of dentists who are retiring contribute to this gain. By 2020, it is expected that nearly 6000 dentists will graduate from dental school. The average age at retirement in 2001 was 64.8 years, but it had

Compensation and Corporate Models

Data from 2007 to 2009 show that nearly 17% of active private practice dentists are employees and 44% of new active practitioners are employees. Corporate dentistry has grown, with an estimated 35,000 members in the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), formed in 2008. A clear classification system for practice organization is needed that will focus on practice ownership status and how compensation is derived. Corporate dental models could significantly influence the cost and

Specialization

In 1970 fewer than 10% of all active dentists were specialists, but now about 22.5% are. The proportion is expected to remain stable until 2020 based on the stability of the number of specialty graduates over the past 40 years, except in pediatric dentistry. The number of first-year dental students in pediatric dentistry has risen from 163 in 19771 to 405 in 2012, which is an increase of nearly 150%. By 2020, pediatric dentists should be second only to orthodontists as the largest group of

Population and Demographic Factors

The number of dentists per population fluctuates. The ratio fell slightly in the 1990s and showed modest growth (2.8%) in the 2000-2010 period. With more dental school graduates a higher dentist-to-population ratio will exist.

In 1975 most dentists were young and male (Fig 3), with 57% under age 45 years. Over the past 40 years, female dentists have become more common, as noted, but dentists tend to be older, with 42% at least age 55 years and only 31% under age 45 years. Over half of the

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Solomon E: Dental workforce trends and the future of dental practices. Dent Econ 2015.02:18, 20, 22, 2015

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