Private practice ownership rates for dentists have declined across all age groups since 2005, but particularly among younger dentists, according to a survey from the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI).
A little over one-third of dentists ages 30 to 34 were owners of their practice in 2021 compared with more than half of surveyed dentists in 2005, according to the HPI. And less than 10% of dentists under the age of 30 in 2021 were practice owners.
| Dental private practice ownership by age range | ||
| 2005 | 2021 | |
| Under 30 | 25.4% | 9.5% |
| 30-34 | 55% | 34.2% |
| 35-44 | 85.9% | 73 |
| 45-54 | 93.9% | 88.6% |
| 55-64 | 93.4% | 90.1% |
| 65+ | 85% | 84.4% |
Overall, 73% of dentists owned their practices in 2021, down from 84.7% in 2005. By gender, 80.3% of male dentists owned their practices in 2021, down from 88.5% in 2005. And 59.6% of female dentists owned their practice in 2021 compared with 68.1% in 2005.
