Remaining profitable, higher patient expectations and low reimbursement rates are a few of the biggest challenges that dentists expect to deal with in 2025.
These nine dentists recently connected with Becker's to share the challenges they are facing in the new year.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What are the biggest challenges facing dentists in 2025?
Dennis Flanagan, DDS. Adjunct Clinical Professor at Jacksonville University (Fla.): The biggest challenge for dentists is inadequate training. Dental schools do not train dental students adequately so they must get advanced training or take lots of continuing education courses.
Praveen Gudipati, DMD. Dentist at Cumming (Ga.) Dental: I think the biggest challenge dentists will face in 2025 is profitability. There will be a considerable dip in profitability due to meager insurance fees, high staff cost and two years of inflation.
Misako Hirota, DMD. Dentist at Hirota Dental (National City, Calif.): The biggest challenges facing dentists in 2025 will continue to be staff shortages, increasing wages and stagnant insurance reimbursement rates. We have been actively searching for a staff member for six months and find less-than-qualified candidates asking for astronomical wages that most small businesses cannot sustain. This is on top of insurance reimbursement that has stayed stagnant for more than 17 years. Some insurance companies have increased reimbursement but at rates that are not commensurate with inflation while corporate profits are at an all time high.
Huzefa Kapadia, DDS. Dentist at Kapadia Dental Care (Detroit): Dentists will face several significant challenges in 2025:
No. 1: Ongoing staffing shortages: 95% of dentists struggle with recruiting hygienists, and over 87% face difficulties hiring assistants, according to a recent study. This shortage is expected to persist due to mass retirements, pandemic-related departures and insufficient new graduates entering the field.
No. 2: Rising patient expectations: Patients are increasingly seeking personalized, tech-enabled experiences, including easy appointment scheduling, digital communication and advanced treatment options.
No. 3: Adapting to digital dentistry: The integration of artificial intelligence and other technologies in clinical practice, patient management and operational tasks will require dentists to invest in new systems and training.
No. 4: Increased demand for cosmetic dentistry: With a projected annual growth rate of 7.1%, cosmetic dentistry will lead innovation, requiring dentists to stay updated on new techniques and technologies.
No. 5: Competition from DSOs: The DSO market is expected to grow at a rate of 15.8% annually, potentially impacting independent practices.
Josh Merrell, DDS. Dentist at Alpenglow Dental (Whitefish, Mt.): The biggest challenge, I believe, is keeping staff overhead to a manageable level and still being profitable if you have a PPO practice.
Truong Nguyen, DDS. Dentist atAlways Dental Care (Phoenixville, Pa.): The biggest challenges I'm facing as a dentist in my office are insurance companies not wanting to pay for procedures, or downgrading, as well as low fees. In addition, patients not understanding their insurance plan, or even knowing what they have for their dental insurance.
Michael Perpich, DDS. Dentist at Gentle Dental (Coon Rapids, Minn.): There will be several issues facing dentists in 2025. Staffing, reimbursements and keeping overhead low will continue. The biggest fear is what the new administration will do to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and what will Robert Kennedy Jr., do with vaccinations and water fluoridation. Will we be back to the 60s? Dentists need to be comfortable being uncomfortable in 2025.
Charles Schlesinger, DDS. CEO of Comfortable Dentistry4U Rio Rancho (Albuquerque, N.M.): I think the challenges are going to be similar to 2024. We will be trying to find a way to keep profitable with ever rising costs of overhead and employees while dealing with the challenges of decreasing reimbursements.
Shady Shaaban, DDS. Dentist at Nuvia Dental Implant Center (Fullerton, Calif.): There are a lot of challenges. Inflation, rising payroll and supply costs and insurance isn't increasing the fees to match the increase and in some other instances they are actually decreasing it, while they are increasing their premiums. It is ridiculous when you think about it really, the insurance companies own and control us.