In this issue:
By the Numbers: Looking at the Cost of Dentistry
What percentage of our patients can comfortably afford dental care? Do the economic circumstances many Americans face make paying for high-value dental care less realistic? The answers might surprise you.
40.2%
Percentage of adults surveyed who indicated they would forgo dental care due to cost
Source: American Dental Association [internet]. Chicago: American Dental Association; c2019. Yarbrough C, Nasseh K, Vujicic M. Why Adults Forgo Dental Care: Evidence from a New National Survey. Health Policy Institute Research Brief. 2014 Nov [cited 2019 May 16]. Available from: https://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/
Science%20and%20Research/HPI/Files/HPIBrief_1114_1.ashx.
74 million
Number of Americans without dental insurance (about 23% of the population)
Source: National Association of Dental Plans [internet]. Dallas (TX): National Association of Dental Plans; c2017. 2017 Dental Benefits Report: Enrollment [cited 2019 May 16]. Available from: https://knowledge.nadp.org/products/2017-dental-benefits-report-enrollment.
29%
Percentage of American households with less than $1,000 in savings
Source: MagnifyMoney by LendingTree [internet]. Charlotte (NC): LendingTree; c2019. Horymski C. How Much Does the Average American Have in Savings?; 2019 Apr 28 [cited 2019 May 16]. Available from: https://www.magnifymoney.com/blog/news/average-american-savings/
$1,314
Average cost for a ceramic crown to an uninsured patient
Source: 1Dental.com [internet]. Haltom City (TX): Qualbe Marketing Group; c2019. No Dental Insurance But Need Dental Crowns? [cited 2019 June 13]. Available from: https://www.1dental.com/dental-crowns
$99
Cost to dentists of a BruxZir® Full-Strength Solid Zirconia posterior crown from Glidewell Dental
Source: Glidewell Laboratories
