Austin, Texas-based Aspire Dental will reopen in a new office after its previous office was damaged in a fire. 

Dental school students graduated with an average of $280,700 in debt in 2023, according to data from the American Dental Education Association. 

There has been a 16.9% decrease in the number of dental assisting programs in the U.S., according to data from the American Dental Association. 

There were more than 8,600 first-year students enrolled in dental hygiene programs during the 2022-23 academic year. 

Here are 24 dental industry updates that have take place in Texas, California and New York since Feb. 14: 

The office of a North Carolina dentist whose license was suspended has closed indefinitely.

Richard Eidelson, DDS, opened his second dental practice, which is located in the Medical Arts Building in Philadelphia.

Dentists’ confidence in the state of the U.S. economy has trended upwards since early 2023, according to a report from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Chicago-based Dentologie is expanding out of the Chicagoland area with its first office in Seattle, the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported April 17. 

Fifteen percent of dentists reported being too busy to treat all people requesting appointments at their practices, according to a report from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.

Six states have recently disciplined dentists for violations related to patient care, permit requirements and more.

ConfiDENT, led by Cesar Tapia, DDS, is planning the opening of a second practice location.

A dental practice in Coal Valley, Ill., suffered damage after a structure fire in the building, according to an April 16 report by NBC affiliate KWQC.

Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Professional Transition Strategies helped facilitate 30 dental practice transitions during the first quarter of 2024.

A North Carolina dentist had his license suspended April 2 for allegedly being impaired at his dental office.

A North Carolina woman was recently charged with working as a dental hygienist despite not having a license, abc45 News reported April 16. 

Ransomware group RansomHub recently leaked contracts and patient records purportedly stolen from Change Healthcare.

Primary care providers in several states are being trained to provide certain oral health services as part of an initiative to integrate services and increase access to dental care, KFF Health News reported April 10.

The Biden-Harris administration recently announced its plan to forgive $7.4 billion in student debt for 277,000 borrowers. 

Here are five dentists who have taken ownership of practices so far in 2024: