Direct payments from private insurance carriers made up the highest percentage of gross billings for dentists in private practice, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
For general practitioners, direct payment from private carriers was the top source of their gross billings. The top source for specialty dentists was direct patient payments.
Billing data for 2023 was collected from the ADA's 2024 "Survey of Dental Practice," which surveyed 60,975 private practice dentists in the U.S. The results reflect 2023 operation statistics.
Here are the top four sources of private practice dentists' gross billings:
All dentists
Direct payment from private insurance carriers: 48.7%
Direct patient payment: 42.5%
Government programs: 7.7%
Other sources: 1.1%
General practitioners
Direct payment from private insurance carriers: 50.8%
Direct patient payment: 41.7%
Government programs: 6.5%
Other sources: 1.1%
Specialists
Direct payment from private insurance carriers: 42.4%
Direct patient payment: 45.2%
Government programs: 11.3%
Other sources: 1.1%