Dentists are facing compounding factors fueling financial troubles for their practices this year.
Three statistics to know from 2026:
1. Dental payer reimbursement rates continue to lag behind inflation, according to the American Dental Association’s “State of the U.S. Dental Economy” report for the second quarter of 2026. The reimbursement rate index, averaged across all payer types, has increased by 19% since January 2021. Inflation, however, was 27% over the same time period. When looking at the first six months of this year specifically, the reimbursement rate index increased by 1.1%, while inflation was at 1.8%.
Source: The financial squeeze facing dentistry / Becker’s Dental