ADA Health Policy Institute Finds Uptick in Dental Spending

The American Dental Association (ADA) Health Policy Institute (HPI) released its second annual Dental Industry Report today. The report found some signs of recovery in U.S. dental spending, which reached a historic high in 2018 of $136 billion, or 3.7 percent of total health spending in the U.S.

“The latest data show a slight recovery in the dental care economy in terms of overall dental spending, fueled by an uptick in utilization and spending among patients with private dental insurance,” said Marko Vujicic, Ph.D., chief economist and vice president of HPI, in the report’s executive summary.

New this year, the report features a deep dive into dentist reimbursement, including a unique, comprehensive analysis of state-level data. Other key topics covered are the increasingly diverse dental workforce and changes in key populations of dental patients served.

The report distills findings from HPI data collections to provide insight into the state of the dental industry and market trends and is an offering from HPI Consulting Services, which provides clients with customized industry research and speaking engagements targeting the dental industry.

For more information on HPI or to inquire about consulting services, visit ADA.org/HPIconsulting.

Editor’s Note: Reporters are invited to follow the ADA and HPI on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn and @ADAHPI

About the American Dental Association

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 163,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ADA.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA’s consumer website MouthHealthy.org.

About the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute

The Health Policy Institute (HPI), a division of the American Dental Association, is a thought leader and trusted source for critical policy knowledge related to the U.S. dental care system. HPI achieves this by generating, synthesizing, and disseminating innovative research on a variety of topics that are relevant to the dental industry, policy makers, health care advocates, and providers. The Institute focuses on health policy reform, access to dental care, the dental workforce, dental care utilization and benefits, dental education, and oral health outcomes. HPI also offers credible, personalized consulting services using its data to provide clients with in-depth insights into the dental economic landscape. For more information about HPI, visit ADA.org/HPI.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200204005686/en/