Dental Spending Is Up in 2021

With the pandemic receding from the collective mindset, patients returned to the dental office in force during 2021. Dental spending was higher than in pre-pandemic years, according to the American Dental Association. In 2020, dental spending was at $146 billion compared to $162 billion in 2021, an increase of 11%. In 2019, dental spending capped at $152 billion. Government-funded dental spending through programs, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, increased by 25% from 2020 to 2021; private insurance spending grew by 11%; and out-of-pocket dental spending increased by 13%. Click here to read more.