Direct payment from private insurance carriers was the top source of gross billings for owner dentists in private practice at 49.6 percent, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The data was gathered as part of the ADA's annual "Survey of Dental Practice" and includes both general and specialty dentists.
Here were the sources of gross billings for general practitioners, specialists and all dentists in 2022:
General practitioners
Direct patient payment: 39.5 percent
Government programs: 6.6 percent
Direct payment from private insurance carriers: 51.9 percent
Other sources: 2 percent
Specialists
Direct patient payment: 46.7 percent
Government programs: 8.7 percent
Direct payment from private insurance carriers: 42.4 percent
Other sources: 2.1 percent
All dentists
Direct patient payment: 41.2 percent
Government programs: 7.1 percent
Direct payment from private insurance carriers: 49.6 percent
Other sources: 2.1 percent