U.S. dental care spending could decline by up to 66 percent in 2020 and 32 percent in 2021, according to a model by the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
The economic projection modeled four overall scenarios based on the two separate assumptions. One assumption was that the U.S. economy will fully recover by January 2021 and the second assumption was that it recovers in May 2021. The researchers noted that the May 2021 scenario is more likely. For more on methodology, click here.
Under the assumption that the economy recovers in May 2021, with dental spending 80 percent recovered, the model projects total dental spending to be $49.6 billion in 2020 and $104.3 billion in 2021. Under this scenario, the pandemic effects are estimated to reduce U.S. dental spending by 66.5 percent in 2020 and 32.3 percent in 2021.