Professionally active US dentists
205,088
Up from 195,755 in 2015 in the same ADA table, and 60.0 per 100,000 people.
ADA HPI, Supply of Dentists 2001-2025
Data hub · Last updated October 2026 · Sources: ADA HPI, Census, BLS, ADEA
US Dental Industry Data 2026
Every number you need about the US dental market in one place, pulled from primary sources. Every stat is free to cite. Click "Copy citation" on any number.
Dental offices with employees
135,665
Flat for a decade (133,672 in 2013). IBISWorld counts about 181,000 dental businesses in 2026, a figure that includes dentists working alone with no employees.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023
US dental spending
$174B
3.6% of all US health spending in 2023.
CMS National Health Expenditure, via ADA HPI
Female dentists
39.4%
More than double the 16% female share recorded in 2001.
ADA HPI, Supply of Dentists 2001-2025
DSO-affiliated dentists
16.1%
Up from 7.2% in 2015. 26.5% of dentists up to 10 years out of dental school are DSO-affiliated.
ADA HPI, U.S. Dentist Workforce 2025
Dental hygienist jobs
225,300
Median annual wage $98,100 (May 2025). Projected 8% growth 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average occupation.
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
Workforce
Who Practices Dentistry in the US
Of the 205,088 professionally active dentists in 2025, the workforce is younger, more female, and more racially diverse each year. Average career length is 41.3 years; average retirement age is 68.7 (ADA HPI 2025).
Age Distribution (2025)
| Under 35 | 17.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 26.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 22.5% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% |
| 65 and older | 15.2% |
Race & Ethnicity (2024)
| White | 67.0% |
| Asian | 20.4% |
| Hispanic | 6.1% |
| Black | 3.9% |
| Other / unknown | 2.6% |
Source: ADA Health Policy Institute. Age from Supply of Dentists in the U.S., 2025; race and ethnicity from the U.S. Dentist Workforce 2025 report, 2024 data.
By Specialty
US Dentists by Specialty
General dentists make up about 79% of the profession. Counts are professionally active dentists with a certificate or degree in each area, from the ADA's 2025 supply tables. A dentist trained in two specialties counts in both.
Specialty Counts
| Specialty | Count | Data year |
|---|---|---|
| General practice | 161,733 | 2025 |
| Orthodontists | 10,844 | 2025 |
| Pediatric dentists | 9,521 | 2025 |
| Oral and maxillofacial surgeons | 7,482 | 2025 |
| Endodontists | 5,738 | 2025 |
| Periodontists | 5,480 | 2025 |
| Prosthodontists | 3,568 | 2025 |
| Dental public health | 722 | 2025 |
| Oral and maxillofacial pathology | 424 | 2025 |
| Oral and maxillofacial radiology | 225 | 2025 |
Want practice-level contact data for any of these specialties? See dedicated pages for pediatric, orthodontists, oral surgeons, endodontists, periodontists, prosthodontists, cosmetic dentists, and dental hygienists.
Consolidation
DSOs and the Shift to Group Practice
The share of US dentists affiliated with a Dental Support Organization reached 16.1% in 2024, more than double the 7.2% recorded in 2015 (ADA HPI). Group practice has overtaken solo: roughly two in three US dentists worked in a group practice in 2024.
The generational divide is sharp. 26.5% of dentists up to 10 years out of dental school are DSO-affiliated, against 14.4% of those 11 to 25 years out and 9.1% of those more than 25 years out.
Our own practice file tags 15,730 office rows with a DSO or group name, 12.9% of rows, across 4,459 distinct groups. The ADA measures dentists and we measure locations, which is why the two shares differ.
Source: ADA HPI, U.S. Dentist Workforce 2025; DentistEmailList.com database
Deeper analysis: The Rise of DSOs (2026 Guide).
Pipeline
Dental School Pipeline
77 CODA-accredited dental schools operated across the US and Puerto Rico in fall 2025, and two more won initial accreditation in 2026. Total predoctoral enrollment reached 28,925 students in 2025-26, up from 24,117 ten years earlier.
The class of 2025 had 7,015 graduates, with 56.4% women. The class that entered in 2025 was the largest since 2000: 7,073 first-time students, drawn from 13,657 applicants (ADEA).
The supply pipeline plus a stable retirement curve (average retirement age 68.7 in 2024) keeps the projected dentist workforce growing through 2040 (ADA HPI).
Source: ADA HPI and CODA, Survey of Dental Education 2025-26; ADEA applicants and enrollees, 2025
Support Workforce
Hygienists and Dental Staff
Dental hygienists held about 225,300 jobs in 2025 (BLS), with a median annual wage of $98,100 in May 2025. The occupation is projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average across occupations.
That is about 1.7 hygienist jobs for every dental office the Census counts. The BLS projects about 15,000 hygienist openings a year, roughly three for every opening for a dentist.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025 to 2035
Reach US dental practices that employ hygienists → Dental Hygienists Email List.
Market Size
US Dental Industry Revenue
$174 billion went to dental services in the US in 2023, by the federal National Health Expenditure accounts as read by the ADA. That is 3.6% of all health spending, and about $1.28 million for each of the 135,665 dental offices the Census counts.
IBISWorld, which estimates the revenue of dental offices rather than national spending, puts 2026 industry revenue at $196.4 billion. The two figures measure different things, so quote the one that matches your question.
Source: ADA HPI, National Dental Expenditures 2023; IBISWorld, Dental Offices in the US, 2026
Deep Dives
Related Reports
Methodology & Sources
Where These Numbers Come From
Every number on this page comes from a primary source: the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute, the US Census Bureau, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Dental Education Association.
Every number carries its data year. Dentist counts come from the ADA's Supply of Dentists in the U.S., 2001 to 2025; office counts from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns, 2023. Figures are current as of the page's October 2026 refresh.
If you spot a discrepancy or have a more recent source, please contact us.
- ADA Health Policy Institute, U.S. Dentist Workforce 2025 Update
- ADA HPI, Practice Modalities Among U.S. Dentists
- ADA HPI, U.S. Dentist Demographics
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dentists
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dental Hygienists
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023
- ADA HPI, National Dental Expenditures 2023
- ADA HPI, Dental Education (CODA Survey of Dental Education 2025-26)
- IBISWorld: Dental Offices in the US (2026 estimate)
- ADEA Trends in Dental Education 2024-25
- KFF State Health Facts: Professionally Active Dentists
By State
Dental Practice Data by State
Verified practice counts, email coverage, and a downloadable dentist email list for every state and DC.
- California (19,420)
- Texas (10,354)
- New York (6,984)
- Florida (8,818)
- Pennsylvania (4,569)
- Illinois (4,757)
- Ohio (3,727)
- Michigan (3,804)
- New Jersey (4,686)
- Georgia (3,169)
- North Carolina (3,339)
- Virginia (3,410)
- Massachusetts (3,095)
- Arizona (2,561)
- Colorado (2,579)
- Maryland (2,327)
- Minnesota (1,710)
- Indiana (2,015)
- Wisconsin (1,619)
- Tennessee (2,316)
- Missouri (1,610)
- Oregon (1,564)
- Washington (3,241)
- Connecticut (1,585)
- South Carolina (1,661)
- Alabama (1,297)
- Louisiana (1,163)
- Kentucky (1,104)
- Oklahoma (1,180)
- Iowa (1,101)
- Utah (1,465)
- Nevada (1,128)
- Kansas (861)
- Arkansas (840)
- Mississippi (719)
- Nebraska (621)
- New Mexico (540)
- Idaho (732)
- Hawaii (526)
- West Virginia (483)
- New Hampshire (538)
- Maine (478)
- Montana (447)
- Rhode Island (280)
- Delaware (252)
- South Dakota (241)
- North Dakota (225)
- Alaska (265)
- Washington, D.C. (325)
- Vermont (204)
- Wyoming (212)
Need the contact data behind these numbers?
Our database holds 122,147 US dental practices, labs and schools with emails, phone and mailing address. Free 100-record sample.