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Dental Profession Inflation Compared to Overall CPI Since 2020

 Since 2020, the dental profession has experienced significantly higher inflationary pressure than the overall U.S. economy — and this has been severely compounded by flat or stagnant dental insurance reimbursement rates.

📈 Key Comparison: Dental Inflation vs. Overall CPI (2020–2025)

Metric202020232025 (est.)% Change (2020–2025)
Overall CPI (U.S.)100117.5~122.5~22.5% increase
Dental Care CPI100114~121~21% increase
Dental WagesIndex = 100~125~135+~35%+ increase
Dental Supplies/ConsumablesIndex = 100~130~145~45% increase
Dental EquipmentIndex = 100~120~130~30% increase
Insurance ReimbursementsIndex = 100~101–103~102–105~2–5% increase (if any)

🔺 Verdict: Inflation in dental labor, supplies, and equipment has outpaced both general CPI and dental service CPI — Plus reimbursements haven’t kept up.

⚠️ Biggest Inflationary Disruptions in Dentistry

  1. Labor Costs

    • Hygienist, assistant, and front office wages have jumped 30–40% or more in many markets due to shortages and competition.

    • DSOs and hospitals have raised the wage floor, pressuring independent practices.

  2. Consumables & PPE

    • Gloves, masks, sterilization pouches, etc. have doubled in price since 2020 in some cases.

    • Disposables and infection control costs remain elevated post-COVID.

  3. Equipment & Tech

    • A-dec chairs, CBCT units, CAD/CAM mills, and scanners have all increased 20–40% in cost, driven by supply chain issues and manufacturer pricing.

  4. Facility & Utilities

    • Lease rates, buildouts, HVAC maintenance, and utilities have gone up 10–25%.

🧮 But Insurance Reimbursements?

  • Most major PPOs (Delta, MetLife, Cigna, Aetna, etc.) have:

    • Not meaningfully increased fee schedules since 2020.

    • In some cases, cut reimbursements or reduced coverage frequencies (e.g., fewer cleanings, downgraded procedures).

  • This results in shrinking profit margins, especially for high-insurance-dependent dental offices.

🔍 Bottom Line

The dental profession is in a profit squeeze:

  • Input costs (labor, supplies, capital investment) ↑

  • Insurance reimbursement (revenue per procedure) ↔ or ↓

This is leading many practices to:

  • Drop low-paying PPOs

  • Raise UCR (usual/customary) fees

  • Invest in membership plans (like LADD’s Dental One Discount Plan)

  • Adopt tech like Overjet to boost diagnostic efficiency

  • Shift toward fee-for-service and SureSmile/aligner cases 



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