Becker's Dental + DSO Review

7 BECKER'S DENTAL + DSO REVIEW - VOL. 2021 NO. 3 DENTAL PROFESSIONALS Rate of young dentists owning practices dropping steadily since 2005: 3 things to know By Gabrielle Masson S ince 2005, practice ownership among dentists has declined, according to the American Dental Associ- ation. The ADA Health Policy Institute analyzed results from sur- veys of both dentists and dental graduates, weighting the results for nonresponse bias. Three findings, per ADA: 1. Overall, 84.7 percent of dentists owned their practices in 2005, compared to 76.1 percent in 2019. 2. From 2005 to 2019, female dentists have been consis- tently less likely than male dentists to own their practice. 3. Forty-nine percent of dentists younger than 35 owned their own practice in 2005, compared to 40.4 percent in 2013 and 30.7 percent in 2019. n Kansas practice closes indefinitely after dentist arrested By Gabrielle Masson A Topeka, Kan.-based dental practice closed after the arrest of its dentist, Brian Newell, DDS, reported NBC affiliate KSNT. The 48-year-old dentist was arrested April 19 and subse- quently charged with violation of a protection order, crim- inal use of weapons, criminal threat and harassment by telecom device. Dr. Newell works at the Family & Implant Center, where a message is taped to the front door saying the practice has closed and staff are "unaware when or if they will be reopening." Becker's reached out May 12 to Family and Implant Dental for comment and received no response. n Increased supply of dentists, flat demand: ADA workforce predictions for 2020-40 By Gabrielle Masson T he American Dental Association provides data on the dental workforce from the past decade, including gender, age and race. The U.S. could be entering a period of expanding supply of den- tists and flat demand for dental care, according to a new report from the American Dental Association. Researchers with ADA's Health Policy Institute updated a pre- vious workforce analysis by incorporating the Census Bureau's "low immigration" scenario of projected population growth, increasing estimates of future dental school graduates and in- creasing projected retirement rates. The report authors note that understanding the future supply of dentists only partially answers the question of whether the dental workforce will be able to meet population needs. The is- sue of provider adequacy is far more complicated and requires more research. Six key report findings: 1. Per capita, U.S. dentist supply is projected to increase through 2040 even after adjusting for expected changes in hours worked and patient visits tied to dentist age and gender. 2. In 2020, there were 201,117 practicing U.S. dentists, which translates to 60.7 dentists per 100,000 population. Under the ADA's baseline scenario, the unadjusted number of dentists per 100,000 population will rise to 67 in 2040. The new analysis pre- dicts a large increase in the number of dentists relative to the population due to lower population growth estimates. 3. The future demand for dentists will depend on future demand for dental care, the evolution of dental efficiency, and potential changes in the workforce mix within care delivery models. Re- cent analysis suggests that the demand for restorative dental care will decline. 4. Dental care use among working-age adults is declining, es- pecially among younger adults. However, insurance coverage expansions could lead to increases in demand. 5. Research initially suggested that COVID-19 may result in an increase in retirement rates among older dentists. As of May 2021, this is not the case. Dentist retirement rates have been rising steadily since 2013, and there is no change in this trend tied to COVID-19. 6. The "de-aging" of the dentist workforce will continue, ac- cording to the ADA. The share of dentists ages 55 and older increased from 27 percent in 2001 to a peak of 40 percent in 2013-16. This share dropped to 37 percent in 2020 and is pro- jected to decline to 33 percent in 2040. n

• Cover