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2012 Survey of Dental Practice

Pediatric Dentists in Private Practice

INCOME REPORT

INTRODUCTION The American Dental Association’s Health Policy Resources Center mailed the 2012 Survey of Dental Practice to dentists to collect information about the previous year of operation, 2011. For this survey year, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Pediatric Oral Health Research and Policy Center collaborated on the survey and pediatric dentists were oversampled in order to obtain enough responses from those specialists to allow for reliable statistical analysis. The survey focused on aspects of private practice including characteristics of dentists and patients, operating room use, charitable care, and employment of non-dentist personnel. In April 2012, the three-page questionnaire was mailed to a national random sample of dentists in private practice regardless of membership status in the American Dental Association. The sample was made up of approximately 16,000 dentists, including about 4,000 pediatric dentists. The percentage of pediatric dentists in the sample exceeded the percentage of specialists in the dental population in order to provide an adequate number of responses from the specialty for statistical analysis. Non-respondents received an additional opportunity to participate, receiving another copy of the survey at the end of May 2012. Data collection was completed in July 2012, resulting in 781 responses from pediatric dentists. The final adjusted overall response rate from all dentists was 16.5%, while the response rate among pediatric dentists was 18.9%. This report presents an overview of survey results related to net income, gross billings, and practice expenses for pediatric dentists. For additional information about pediatric dentists, see the “Characteristics Report,” available from the AAPD. For additional information or custom analysis of the survey data, please contact the ADA Health Policy Resources Center at 312.440.2568 or [email protected]. Data collected by the 2012 survey and historical trend information start with Table 1 on page 4. The following two pages include key findings from the survey for pediatric dentists.

KEY FINDINGS

Net Income Tables 1 through 12 (starting on page 4) summarize the net income of pediatric dentists in 2011, as well as trended median net incomes. Results are grouped by employment situation, incorporation status, age group, hours worked per week, dentist gender, census region, and perceived workload (busyness). Results are trended for nominal dollars (i.e., as originally answered) and for real or inflation-adjusted dollars (base=2011).

Inflation-adjusted net income increased from 1998 to 2005, decreased from 2005 to 2009, and decreased from 2009 to 2011. In real dollars (base=2011), pediatric dentists’ median net income increased from $239,640 (1998) to $305,220 (2005), decreased to $262,120 (2009), then decreased to $250,000 (2011). The increase in real dollars from 1998 to 2011 was 4.3%. (See Table 5.)

Incorporated pediatric dentists earn more than those who are unincorporated. The median net income of pediatric dentists was $250,000 in 2011. The median was $263,570 for those in incorporated practices and $238,780 for those in unincorporated practices. (See Tables 1-3.)

Male pediatric dentists earn more than female pediatric dentists. Median net income for males and females was $271,800 and $210,000, respectively, in 2011. (See Table 8.)

Among younger full-time owner pediatric dentists there is a smaller gap between the sexes’ median incomes. For this subset of pediatric dentists, median net income for males and females was $317,000 and $291,000, respectively, for those aged 44 or younger in 2011. (See Table 9 and Figure 1.)

Gross Billings Tables 13 through 28 (starting on page 9) summarize gross billings of pediatric dentists in 2011 and their trended medians. Results are grouped by employment situation, age group, hours worked per week, dentist

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gender, and census region. Results are trended for nominal dollars (i.e., as originally answered) and for real or inflation-adjusted dollars (base=2011).

Inflation-adjusted practice gross billings has increased since 1998. In real dollars (base=2011), median practice gross billings has increased by 44.2% from $832,040 (1998) to $1,200,000 (2011). (See Table 15.)

Inflation-adjusted gross billings per dentist has increased since 1998. In real dollars (base=2011), median gross billings per dentist in the practice of pediatric dentists has increased by 28.8% from $621,000 (1998) to $800,000 (2011). (See Table 18.)

Busyness and gross billings per dentist are related. Pediatric dentists who described themselves as “not busy enough” had a median gross billings per dentist of $605,660 in 2011. This statistic was $1,152,000 among pediatric dentists who described themselves as “too busy to treat all people requesting appointments.” (See Table 25.)

Proportions of sources of gross billings have changed. Government programs (e.g. Medicare, Medicaid, or other public insurance) have grown from 11.5% (1998) to 22.6% (2011) as an estimated share of gross billings. Similarly, managed care (such as capitation plans or PPOs) has grown from 3.3% (1998) to 8.0% (2011) as an estimated share of gross billings. (See Table 28.)

Practice Expenses Tables 29 through 34 (starting on page 14) summarize practice expenses of pediatric dentists and their trended medians. Results are grouped by employment situation and are trended for nominal dollars (i.e., as originally answered) and for real or inflation-adjusted dollars (base=2011).

Inflation-adjusted practice expenses has increased since 1998. In real dollars (base=2011), median practice expenses per dentist (excluding shareholder salaries) in the practices of pediatric dentists has increased by 17.8% from $345,000 (1998) to $406,460 (2011). (See Table 32.)

Employment of Personnel Tables 36 through 45 (starting on page 18) summarize wages of non-dentist staff of pediatric dentists. Results are grouped by employment situation. Wages of non-dentist staff vary by position and hours worked. See Table A below.

Table A: Average Hourly Wage of Selected Non-Dentist Staff in the

Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011

Staff position Full-time Part-time

Dental hygienist $32.50 $33.20

Chairside assistant 18.00 17.40

Secretary/receptionist 18.30 18.20

Financial coordinator 21.20 22.00

Office manager 25.70 25.90

Source: American Dental Association, Health Policy Resources Center, 2012 Survey of Dental Practice.

PEDIATRIC DENTISTS’ NET INCOME, GROSS BILLINGS AND PRACTICE EXPENSES

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NET INCOME

Table 1: Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Mean 1st Q Median 3rd Q S.D. N

All owners $338,140 $195,000 $280,000 $425,000 $232,940 457 Solo practitioners 308,440 161,500 250,000 400,000 199,570 244

Nonsolo owners 372,170 220,000 300,000 450,000 261,960 213

Employed 199,990 125,000 200,000 225,000 129,300 81 All pediatric dentists 311,750 175,000 250,000 400,000 224,770 558


Table 2: Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Unincorporated Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners $289,570 $150,000 $250,000 $350,000 $208,060 102

Solo practitioners 263,580 150,000 240,000 320,000 176,900 70

Nonsolo owners 346,430 182,500 300,000 435,000 254,600 32

Employed --* -- -- -- -- 15 All pediatric dentists 263,870 130,000 238,780 320,000 199,610 124


Table 3: Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Incorporated Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners $353,080 $200,000 $300,000 $450,000 $238,350 352


Nonsolo owners 377,200 225,000 310,000 450,000 263,630 180

Employed 209,620 125,000 200,000 250,000 138,630 58 All pediatric dentists 328,390 180,000 263,570 400,000 230,800 423


* This category had too few responses to allow for reliable statistical analysis.

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Table 4: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011 (Nominal dollars)

Pediatric Dentists 1998 2001 2005 2009 2011

All owners $185,000 $250,000 $294,610 $275,300 $280,000

Solo practitioners 165,000 249,000 257,000 244,200 250,000

Nonsolo owners 239,500 261,000 335,000 315,350 300,000

Employed 80,000 --* -- 172,500 200,000

All pediatric dentists 173,650 240,000 265,000 250,000 250,000

Source: American Dental Association, Health Policy Resources Center, Surveys of Dental Practice.

Table 5: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011 (Real dollars, base=2011)


All owners $255,300 $317,530 $339,320 $288,650 $280,000


Nonsolo owners 330,510 331,500 385,840 330,640 300,000

Employed 110,400 -- -- 180,860 200,000

All pediatric dentists 239,640 304,830 305,220 262,120 250,000


Table 6: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Age, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Under 45 45-54 55-64 65 and older

All owners $300,000 $250,000 $310,000 $250,000

Solo practitioners 280,000 250,000 272,000 200,000

Nonsolo owners 300,000 350,000 347,500 250,000 Employed 200,000 -- -- -- All pediatric dentists 249,000 250,000 300,000 210,000



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Table 7: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Hours Worked per Week, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Less

Than 30 30-34.9 35-39.9

40 or More

All owners $247,500 $290,000 $295,000 $300,000 Solo practitioners --* 280,000 250,000 278,000

Nonsolo owners 277,500 300,000 345,000 320,000

Employed -- -- -- -- All pediatric dentists 175,000 272,000 265,000 275,000


Table 8: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Gender, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Male Pediatric Dentists’

Median Net Income

Male Pediatric Dentists’ Mean Hours Worked

per Week

Female Pediatric Dentists’ Median Net

Income

Female Pediatric Dentists’ Mean Hours

Worked per Week

All owners $300,000 35.4 $250,000 34.2

Solo practitioners 260,000 36.3 205,000 34.7

Nonsolo owners 313,000 34.5 270,000 33.4

Employed 197,500 28.2 200,000 31.3 All pediatric dentists 271,800 34.3 210,000 33.1


Table 9: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Full-Time Owner Pediatric Dentists by Age and Gender, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Male Pediatric Dentists’

Median Net Income Female Pediatric Dentists’

Median Net Income

Owners working 32 hours/week or more $300,000 $250,000

Age 44 and younger 317,000 291,000

Age 45 and older 300,000 205,000



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Figure 1: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Full-Time Owner Pediatric Dentists by Age and Gender, 2011


Table 10: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Census Region, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Northeast Midwest South West Total US

All owners $290,000 $279,000 $280,000 $292,500 $280,000


Nonsolo owners 350,000 271,800 300,000 310,000 300,000

Employed --* -- -- -- 200,000 All pediatric dentists 240,000 270,900 260,000 250,000 250,000



$317,000$300,000 $300,000$291,000

$205,000

$250,000

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

Owners working 32 hours/weekor more, age 44 and younger

Owners working 32 hours/weekor more, age 45 and older

Owners working 32 hours/weekor more, all ages

Employment situation

Male Female

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Table 11: Median Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Perceived Workload, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Too busy to

treat all

Treated all but

overworked

Treated all but not

overworked

Not busy enough

All owners $337,500 $312,000 $300,000 $200,000

Solo practitioners --* 250,000 300,000 195,270

Nonsolo owners -- 402,500 350,000 220,000

Employed -- -- 200,000 -- All pediatric dentists 300,080 297,000 282,500 200,000


Table 12: Net Income from the Primary Private Practice of General Practitioners and Six Types of Specialists, 2011

Area of Practice Mean 1st Q Median 3rd Q S.D. N

Pediatric Dentists $311,750 $175,000 $250,000 $400,000 $224,770 558

General Practitioners 192,390 110,000 169,510 250,000 120,770 973

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 439,580 250,000 377,500 600,000 272,630 103

Endodontists 322,030 160,000 320,000 405,000 214,650 69

Orthodontists and Dentofacial Orthopedists 303,520 150,000 230,000 380,000 276,510 123

Periodontists 238,360 120,000 219,000 325,000 157,770 73

Prosthodontists -- -- -- -- -- 16



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PRACTICE GROSS BILLINGS*

Table 13: Practice Gross Billings from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners $1,663,810 $ 772,000 $1,200,000 $1,978,220 $1,595,270 424

Solo practitioners 997,080 600,000 940,560 1,300,000 506,450 230

Nonsolo owners 2,454,270 1,200,000 1,912,140 2,984,000 2,026,340 194


Table 14: Median Practice Gross Billings from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011 (Nominal dollars)


All owners $ 602,930 $ 900,000 $1,014,150 $1,100,000 $1,200,000


Nonsolo owners 1,098,500 1,298,830 1,474,000 1,800,780 1,912,140


Table 15: Median Practice Gross Billings from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011 (Real dollars, base = 2011)


All owners $ 832,040 $1,143,110 $1,168,060 $1,153,330 $1,200,000


Nonsolo owners 1,515,920 1,649,680 1,697,700 1,888,090 1,912,140


* Employed pediatric dentists were not asked to answer the questions corresponding to this section of the report.

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Table 16: Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners $891,600 $550,000 $800,000 $1,114,380 $497,730 424 Solo practitioners 997,080 600,000 940,560 1,300,000 506,450 230

Nonsolo owners 766,550 466,670 662,240 954,250 455,250 194


Table 17: Median Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011 (Nominal dollars)


All owners $450,000 $589,890 $650,250 $742,000 $800,000


Nonsolo owners 400,000 512,930 550,000 657,520 662,240


Table 18: Median Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011 (Real dollars, base = 2011)


All owners $621,000 $749,230 $748,930 $777,980 $800,000


Nonsolo owners 552,000 651,490 633,470 689,400 662,240


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Table 19: Percent of Gross Billings Collected from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners 88.3% 81.0% 92.3% 98.2% 12.5% 415

Solo practitioners 87.7 79.9 91.7 98.3 13.0 224

Nonsolo owners 89.0 82.5 93.0 98.0 11.8 191


Table 20: Median Gross Billings from the Primary Private Practice of Solo Pediatric Dentists, 2011


Gross billings per practice hour $602 $375 $554 $776 $320 223

Gross billings per visit 251 152 207 302 148 185


Table 21: Median Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Age, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Under 45 45-54 55-64 65 and older

All owners $861,930 $843,630 $ 743,980 $621,030

Solo practitioners 987,500 958,850 1,000,000 657,000

Nonsolo owners 780,000 686,420 631,580 --*


Table 22: Median Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Hours Worked per Week, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Less Than

30 30-34.9 35-39.9 40 or More

All owners $650,000 $787,000 $800,000 $ 905,000

Solo practitioners -- 914,420 957,300 1,000,000

Nonsolo owners 639,870 650,000 667,500 746,670



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Table 23: Median Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Gender, 2011

Pediatric Dentists

Male Pediatric Dentists’ Median Gross Billings per

Dentist

Male Pediatric Dentists’ Mean

Hours Worked per Week

Female Pediatric Dentists’ Median Gross Billings per

Dentist

Female Pediatric Dentists’ Mean

Hours Worked per Week

All owners $800,000 35.4 $830,000 34.2 Solo practitioners 964,300 36.3 900,000 34.7

Nonsolo owners 675,000 34.5 600,930 33.4


Table 24: Median Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Census Region, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Northeast Midwest South West Total US

All owners $762,960 $937,500 $800,000 $712,050 $800,000


Nonsolo owners 762,960 693,210 664,470 595,500 662,240


Table 25: Median Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists by Perceived Workload, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Too busy to

treat all

Treated all but

overworked

Treated all but not

overworked

Not busy enough

All owners $1,152,000 $ 968,000 $797,500 $605,660 Solo practitioners --* 1,021,960 972,300 665,000

Nonsolo owners -- 804,090 667,500 581,730



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Table 26: Gross Billings per Dentist from the Primary Private Practice of General Practitioners and Six Types of Specialists, 2011

Specialists Mean 1st Q Median 3rd Q S.D. N

Pediatric Dentists $ 891,600 $550,000 $ 800,000 $1,114,380 $497,730 424

General Practitioners 628,740 375,000 590,000 825,000 329,420 767

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 1,244,200 876,790 1,175,000 1,553,990 555,860 83

Endodontists 712,700 440,000 668,250 850,000 416,080 54

Orthodontists and Dentofacial Orthopedists 909,390 500,000 866,670 1,150,000 535,270 81

Periodontists 756,990 490,000 691,000 989,000 387,310 57

Prosthodontists --* -- -- -- -- 14


Table 27: Mean Sources of Gross Billings from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011

Pediatric Dentists Direct Patient

Payment Government

Programs Private

Insurance Managed

Care Other

Sources

All owners 22.5% 22.6% 46.1% 8.0% 0.8%

Solo practitioners 23.3 24.3 43.6 8.3 0.6

Nonsolo owners 21.5 20.7 49.2 7.6 1.0


Table 28: Mean Sources of Gross Billings from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011


Direct Patient Payment 34.6% 31.6% 29.2% 25.4% 22.5%

Government Programs 11.5 13.1 17.3 18.1 22.6

Private Insurance 50.0 49.8 46.4 49.1 46.1

Managed Care 3.3 3.8 6.1 6.9 8.0

Other Sources 0.7 1.9 1.0 0.5 0.8



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PRACTICE EXPENSES*

Table 29: Total Practice Expenses (Excluding Shareholder Salaries) from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners $ 856,650 $404,290 $600,000 $ 950,000 $ 842,810 350

Solo practitioners 499,590 300,000 500,000 640,000 270,130 193 Nonsolo owners 1,295,590 600,000 925,000 1,700,000 1,069,770 157


Table 30: Practice Expenses per Dentist (Excluding Shareholder Salaries) from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners $453,620 $250,420 $406,460 $600,000 $261,640 350


Nonsolo owners 397,110 243,000 350,000 462,500 238,070 157


Table 31: Practice Expenses (Excluding Shareholder Salaries) as a Percentage of Gross Billings

from the Primary Private Practice of Owner Pediatric Dentists, 2011


All owners 53.4% 42.5% 52.3% 63.2% 16.0% 329

Solo practitioners 52.0 41.7 51.4 61.9 14.7 180

Nonsolo owners 55.1 46.1 53.8 64.7 17.5 149


* Employed pediatric dentists were not asked to answer the questions corresponding to this section of the report. ** This category had too few responses to allow for reliable statistical analysis.

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Table 32: Practice Expenses from the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011


Median Total Practice Expenses (Excluding Shareholder Salaries), Nominal dollars

$300,880 $431,130 $520,570 $513,200 $600,000

Median Practice Expenses per Dentist (Excluding Shareholder Salaries), Nominal dollars

250,000 321,580 376,900 375,810 406,460

Median Total Practice Expenses (Excluding Shareholder Salaries), Real dollars, base = 2011

415,210 547,590 599,570 538,080 600,000

Median Practice Expenses per Dentist (Excluding Shareholder Salaries), Real dollars, base = 2011

345,000 408,450 434,100 394,030 406,460

Mean Practice Expenses (Excluding Shareholder Salaries) as a Percentage of Gross Billings of Owner Pediatric Dentists

59.8% 55.5% 55.6% 56.1% 53.4%


Table 33: Practice Expenses per Dentist (Excluding Shareholder Salaries) from the Primary Private Practice

of General Practitioners and Six Types of Specialists, 2011


Pediatric Dentists $453,620 $250,420 $406,460 $600,000 $261,640 350

General Practitioners 378,530 225,000 340,000 500,000 213,990 623 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 568,720 390,000 533,330 700,000 273,510 71

Endodontists 344,580 219,000 340,000 470,000 179,580 39

Orthodontists and Dentofacial Orthopedists 519,520 300,000 460,000 650,000 330,060 77

Periodontists 427,690 240,000 400,000 600,000 225,050 43

Prosthodontists --* -- -- -- -- 12



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Table 34: Practice Expenses (Excluding Shareholder Salaries) as a Percentage of Gross Billings from the Primary Private Practice of Owner Pediatric Dentists and General Practitioners, 2011


Pediatric Dentists 53.4% 42.5% 52.3% 63.2% 16.0% 329

General Practitioners 60.4% 51.4% 60.1% 69.2% 13.2% 602


Table 35: Office Characteristics of the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, by Employment Situation, 2011 (Weighted)

Pediatric Dentists*

Number of operatories (Average)

Square feet of office space

(Average)

Number of office locations

One Two Three or

more

All owners 5.6 2,661.7 89.5% 9.2% --†

Solo practitioners 4.9 2,351.3 92.7 -- --

Nonsolo owners 7.7 3,607.2 79.9 16.7 --

Employed 6.9 2,965.1 79.7 -- --

All pediatric dentists 5.6 2,670.2 88.7 9.6 1.8%


* The averages in this group have been weighted by the inverse of the number of dentists in the practice. For more details regarding weights, please see page 23. † This category had too few responses to allow for reliable statistical analysis.

EMPLOYMENT OF DENTAL PRACTICE PERSONNEL BY PEDIATRIC DENTISTS

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DENTAL HYGIENISTS

Table 36: Average Hourly Wage and Hours Worked per Week of Dental Hygienists in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011*

Pediatric Dentists**

Full-Time Staff Part-Time Staff Full- and Part-Time

Staff

N

Hourly wage

Hours worked per week

Hourly wage


Hourly wage


All owners $32.50 33.8 $33.20 18.5 $32.80 25.7 604

Solo practitioners 31.60 33.5 32.20 18.0 31.90 24.9 263

Nonsolo owners 34.20 34.2 36.00 19.8 34.80 27.6 341


Table 37: Average Full-Time Nominal Hourly Wage of Dental Hygienists in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011*

Pediatric Dentists** 1998 2001 2005 2009 2011

All owners $23.00 $27.60 $28.40 $33.10 $32.50

Solo practitioners 22.50 27.40 28.40 --† 31.60

Nonsolo owners 23.80 27.80 28.20 35.70 34.20


Table 38: Average Part-Time Nominal Hourly Wage of Dental Hygienists in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011*


All owners $24.30 $27.60 $34.70 $36.30 $33.20


Nonsolo owners 26.80 31.50 33.70 39.50 36.00


* The averages in this group have been weighted by the inverse of the number of dentists in the practice. For more details regarding weights, please see page 23. ** Employed pediatric dentists were not asked to answer the questions corresponding to this section of the report. † This category had too few responses to allow for reliable statistical analysis.

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CHAIRSIDE ASSISTANTS

Table 39: Average Hourly Wage and Hours Worked per Week of Chairside Assistants in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011*



Staff

N

Hourly wage


Hourly wage


Hourly wage


All owners $18.00 35.1 $17.40 23.5 $17.80 32.3 1,205


Nonsolo owners 19.10 35.6 19.20 24.3 19.10 33.4 587


Table 40: Average Full-Time Nominal Hourly Wage of Chairside Assistants in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011*


All owners $13.20 $15.20 $16.70 $18.80 $18.00


Nonsolo owners 13.90 16.20 17.60 19.30 19.10


Table 41: Average Part-Time Nominal Hourly Wage of Chairside Assistants in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 1998 – 2011*


All owners $13.40 $16.10 $19.20 $18.20 $17.40


Nonsolo owners 14.80 17.90 --† 20.50 19.20


* The averages in this group have been weighted by the inverse of the number of dentists in the practice. For more details regarding weights, please see page 23. ** Employed pediatric dentists were not asked to answer the questions corresponding to this section of the report. † This category had too few responses to allow for reliable statistical analysis.

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SECRETARIES/RECEPTIONISTS-PATIENT SCHEDULING COORDINATORS

Table 42: Average Hourly Wage and Hours Worked per Week of Secretaries/Receptionists-Patient Scheduling Coordinators

in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011*



Staff

N

Hourly wage


Hourly wage


Hourly wage


All owners $18.30 35.7 $18.20 23.5 $18.20 32.9 770


Nonsolo owners 19.00 36.5 19.30 23.5 19.00 35.1 375


Table 43: Average Full-Time Nominal Hourly Wage of Secretaries/Receptionists-Patient Scheduling Coordinators in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2009 – 2011*, †

Pediatric Dentists** 2009 2011

All owners $19.40 $18.30

Solo practitioners 19.50 18.00

Nonsolo owners 19.30 19.00


Table 44: Average Part-Time Nominal Hourly Wage of Secretaries/Receptionists-Patient Scheduling Coordinators in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2009 – 2011*, †

Pediatric Dentists** 2009 2011

All owners $18.40 $18.20

Solo practitioners 17.70 18.00

Nonsolo owners --†† 19.30


* The averages in this group have been weighted by the inverse of the number of dentists in the practice. For more details regarding weights, please see page 23. ** Employed pediatric dentists were not asked to answer the questions corresponding to this section of the report. † The survey excluded questions about wages of secretaries for data years 1998, 2001, and 2005. †† This category had too few responses to allow for reliable statistical analysis.

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OTHER NON-DENTIST STAFF

Table 45: Average Hourly Wage and Hours Worked per Week for Selected Non-Dentist Staff

in the Primary Private Practice of Pediatric Dentists, 2011*



Staff

N

Hourly wage


Hourly wage


Hourly wage


Financial Coordinators (Business Personnel)

All owners $21.20 36.5 $22.00 20.2 $21.30 32.7 148


Nonsolo owners 21.50 37.4 22.00 19.0 21.60 34.5 93

Office Managers

All owners 25.70 37.5 25.90 23.0 25.50 35.2 229


Nonsolo owners 27.50 38.1 25.10 24.0 27.10 36.4 138


* The averages in this group have been weighted by the inverse of the number of dentists in the practice. For more details regarding weights, please see page 23. ** Employed pediatric dentists were not asked to answer the questions corresponding to this section of the report.

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Employment Situation of Dentists Tables in this report frequently group results by the employment situation of dentists. The hierarchy of employment situations used in this report is:

Comparison of “employment situation” categories used in this report:

Category

(Survey question 1) Primary occupation is private practice (full- or part-time)

(Survey question 3) Specialty area

(Survey question 5b) Employment situation in 2011

(Survey question 14) Number of dentists in practice

All owners Yes Pediatric dentistry Sole proprietor or partner Any

Solo practitioners Yes Pediatric dentistry Sole proprietor (i.e., the only owner) One

Nonsolo owners Yes Pediatric dentistry Partner (i.e., one of two or more owners) Two or more

Employed Yes Pediatric dentistry Employee (on a salary, commission, percentage, or associate basis)

Any

All pediatric dentists Yes Pediatric dentistry Sole proprietor or partner or employee or independent contractor

Any

* Independent contractors comprised 2.9% of all dentists whose primary occupation was private practice according to the ADA Health Policy Resources Center’s 2009 Distribution of Dentists report. This category typically had too few responses to allow for reliable statistical analysis in this report’s tables.

All pediatric dentists

All owners

Solo practitioners

Nonsolo owners

EmployedIndependent contractors*

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Survey Methodology The 2012 Survey of Dental Practice was sent to a randomly selected group of dentists in private practice. The sample included general practitioners and specialists, as well as members and nonmembers of the ADA. Sampling Samples for the Survey of Dental Practice are drawn from the ADA Sampling Frame which includes the names of all active private practitioners who graduated from an accredited dental school in the United States. Each year the Sampling Frame is updated with information from the Distribution of Dentists and the Survey of Dental Graduates, both of which are conducted on an annual basis. Current information is also gathered from the ADA’s Master File. The 2012 Survey of Dental Practice’s regular sample was taken from the General Practitioner Sampling Frame and the Specialist Sampling Frame. The sample included 7,969 general practitioners and 5,313 specialists whose primary or secondary occupation was identified as private practice. The percentage of specialists in the sample exceeds the percentage of specialists in the dental population as specialists were oversampled to ensure an adequate number of responses for statistical analysis. An additional sample of 3,308 was drawn for pediatric dentists. They were sent the same survey and their data were collected using the same methodology as the regular sample. Data Collection Data collection for the 2012 Survey of Dental Practice began in April 2012. One follow-up mailing of the full version of the questionnaire was sent to non-respondents in May. Data collection was completed in July 2012. The sample was adjusted by removing dentists who were retired, deceased, not in private practice, or not locatable, resulting in 2,584 respondents and a final adjusted overall response rate of 16.5%. With respect to pediatric dentists, the complete sample contained 4,123 pediatric dentists and yielded 781 respondents, or 18.9% of the sample.

Weighting the Sample For some variables related to the size of the practice, responses were weighted by the inverse of the number of dentists in the practice. For example, in practices with two dentists, the weight was ½ or 0.5. In practices with only one dentist, the weight was 1/1 or 1. As such, the number of dentists weight had no impact on the responses of solo dentists. Statistics computed with weights are indicated as such in all reports.

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Glossary Definitions of several terms and phrases are provided in this section to assist with the interpretation of data contained in the tables. The dentists included in this report were working in private practice as a primary occupation. In addition, all dentists had started in their current practice prior to 2011. ACTIVE PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS

Dentists engaged in the private practice of dentistry (full- or part-time) as either a primary or secondary occupation. Active private practitioners are one type of professionally active dentists.

EMPLOYED DENTIST

A dentist employed in either an incorporated or unincorporated dental practice on a salary, commission, percentage, or associate basis and who does not share in the ownership of the practice in any way. Employed dentists are one type of nonowner dentists along with independent contractors.

GROSS BILLINGS The total amount of fees charged by a primary

practice for dental care provided. This information is generally presented as “practice gross billings” or “gross billings per dentist.”

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

A dentist who contracts with the owner dentist(s) of a practice for the use of space and equipment. Independent contractors derive their income from the fees charged to their own patients and do not receive any financial compensation from the owner(s) of the practice. Independent contractors are one type of nonowner dentist along with employed dentists.

INDEPENDENT DENTIST

A sole proprietor or partner who owns or shares in the ownership of an incorporated or unincorporated dental practice. Sole proprietors or partners in incorporated practices are also referred to as shareholders. There are two types of independent dentists: solo dentists and independent nonsolo dentists.

MEAN The arithmetic average calculated by adding all

responses together and then dividing by the number of respondents.

MEDIAN A statistical measure that divides ranked numeric

responses into halves. The median is the response which falls at the fifty percent mark. The responses in one half are all smaller than the median and those in the other half are all larger than the median.

NET INCOME A dentist’s personal income after practice

expenses and before the payment of personal income taxes. In unincorporated practices, the net income should equal the difference between the practice’s gross billings collected and the expenses of operating the practice. In incorporated practices, shareholders’ net income is included as a practice expense. Net income from the primary private practice is net income from the practice in which the dentist spends the most time or that the dentist considers his main practice. Payments toward a retirement plan are included in net income from the primary private practice.

NOMINAL HOURLY WAGE

In this report, the nominal hourly wage reflects wage answers as originally given. (Compare with Real Hourly Wage.)

NONOWNER DENTIST

A dentist who does not share in the ownership of the practice in which he or she works. There are two types of nonowner dentists: employed dentists and independent contractors.

PROFESSIONALLY ACTIVE DENTIST

A dentist whose primary and/or secondary occupation is private practice (full- or part-time); dental school faculty or staff; military dentist; government-employed dentist at the federal, state, or local levels; hospital staff dentist; graduate student, intern or resident; or other health or dental organization staff member.

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QUARTILES A statistical measure that divides ranked number responses into four equal quarters. The 1st quartile is the response that falls at the twenty-five percent mark and divides the responses into two unequal groups. One group contains one-fourth of the responses and the other three-fourths of the responses. The responses in the smaller group are all smaller than the 1st quartile and those in the larger group are all larger than the 1st quartile. The 2nd quartile is the response that falls at the fifty- percent mark and divides the responses into two equal groups. The responses in one half are all smaller than the 2nd quartile and those in the other half are all larger than the 2nd quartile. The 2nd quartile is also known as the median. The 3rd quartile is the response that falls at the seventy-five percent mark and divides the responses into two unequal groups. One group contains three-fourth of the responses and the other one-fourth of the responses. The responses in the larger group are all smaller than the 3rd quartile and those in the smaller group are all larger than the 3rd quartile.

REAL HOURLY WAGE

The real hourly wage reflects hourly wage answers adjusted for the effects of inflation. In this report, real hourly wages are based on the dollar’s value in 2009. (Compare with Nominal Hourly Wage.)

REGIONS Four U.S. Census Regions: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio,

Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

South: Delaware, Florida, Georgia,

Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

West: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho,

Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.

SHAREHOLDER An owner dentist, sole proprietor or partner, in

an incorporated practice. SOLE PROPRIETOR

A single owner of an incorporated or unincorporated dental practice. In incorporated practices, a sole proprietor is also referred to as the “sole shareholder.” Sole proprietors may or may not have nonowner dentists working at their practices. A sole proprietor who is the only dentist working in the practice is a solo dentist. A sole proprietor with nonowner dentists working in his or her practice is an independent nonsolo dentist.

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SOLO DENTIST (SOLO PRACTITIONER)

A dentist who works in an incorporated or unincorporated dental practice with no other dentists and who owns the practice. Solo dentists are one type of independent dentists along with independent nonsolo dentists.

STANDARD DEVIATION (S.D.)

The typical deviation of sample values from the mean. The size of the standard deviation reflects the accuracy of the sample mean in representing the population. In a normal population, 68.0% of the observations fall within one standard deviation of the mean, 95.5% within two standard deviations, and 99.7% within three standard deviations.

THE 2012 SURVEY OF DENTAL PRACTICE SURVEY INSTRUMENT

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