Dentists reported having confidence in the economics of their practices and the dental sector in the first quarter of 2026 but continue to feel the “fiscal squeeze,” according to the ADA Health Policy Institute’s (HPI) First Quarter 2026 State of the U.S. Dental Economy report.
In addition to feeling fiscally pinched due to high equipment and supply prices, as well as wages that are rising faster than reimbursement rates, dentists continue to struggle with recruiting dental hygienists, according to HPI.
“In Q1 2026, dentists’ confidence in their own practice and the dental sector is up slightly compared to Q4 2025,” the report states.
Nearly 44% of dentists reported feeling confident about dentistry. They felt positive for the following reasons:
- Dentistry is always needed (33.3%)
- Strong demand, practice busyness (31.6%)
- Economic resilience of the sector (11%)
- Positive economic outlook in general (7.4%)
- Patient demand exceeds the supply of dentists in the area (7.1%)
On the other hand, about 29% reported feeling skeptical about the sector because of:
- Low reimbursement, insurance pressures (36.3%)
- Rising practice costs, inflation (30.5%)
- U.S. economic downturn (21.5%)
- Staffing shortages (11.7%)
- Uncertainty due to the current administration or war (11.2%)
Another concern is dentists’ level of busyness. As of the first quarter of 2026, one-third of dentists reported their practices aren’t busy enough. This is an increase from one-quarter of dentists not being busy enough in the first quarter of 2024, according to HPI.
Additionally, staff recruiting continues to be challenging. About one-third of dentists reported they are consistently trying to recruit dental hygienists. Of these dentists, filling vacant positions remains “very challenging.” Some clinicians can’t find any applicants, and others can’t find qualified hygienists who will work for the advertised hours, wages, and benefits, according to the data.
Furthermore, “the ongoing fiscal squeeze is likely contributing challenges offering competitive salaries and benefits for qualified applicants. In fact, the latest data show average hourly wages for dental office staff in the U.S. are unchanged over the past 12 months, once inflation is accounted for,” according to the report.
