Dentist’s earnings are falling in the USA according to the American Dental Association.
According to a report, which has been published in the , dentist’s earnings have been steadily decreasing since 2005. The main reason for the decline in salaries is that Americans are visiting their dentist less frequently.
Andrewo Vujicic, lead author of the study and economist at the American Dental Association, said that the findings had been surprising. The average net income for a general dental practitioner was $217,850 in 2005 compared to $192,680 in 2009; this is the most recent data available.
Dr Vujicic and his team identified a number of factors, which have contributed to lower incomes, including fewer dental appointments per patient, a lower number of people attending dental visits, increases in dental costs and materials and a decrease in the number of patients per dentist.
The research study was focused on general dentists and the findings were based on the results of the American Dental Association’s Survey of Dental Practice.
The growing popularity of free dental clinics and practices demonstrates the trouble people are having affording regular dental visits; free dental events and makeshift clinics and practices are attracting huge crowds, with many people willing to travel for miles and wait overnight to get an appointment.
