The average practice expense per dentist for owner dentists in private practice was more than $530,000 in 2023, according to data from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The average expense was significantly higher for specialty dentists compared to general practice dentists, with the average for specialty owners totaling more than $600,000 compared to under $500,000 for general practitioners.
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 is the average practice expense per dentist, excluding shareholder salaries, for owner dentists in 2023:
All dentists
All owners: $530,680
Solo: $576,530
Nonsolo: $469,930
General practitioners
All owners: $496,790
Solo: $557,240
Nonsolo: $416,340
Specialists
All owners: $530,680
Solo: $576,530
Nonsolo: $469,930