U.S. dentists, on average, are retiring at 69 as of 2023, returning to their pre-pandemic retirement age, according to data released by the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute.
Over the last 20 years, the average age of retirement for U.S. dentists has steadily increased, from 64.7 in 2001 to over 65 in 2003. This trend has translated into dentists working longer careers. Nearly 48 per cent of U.S. dentists have career spans ranging from 35 to 44 years. The data also shows that nearly two out of five dentists work for more than 45 years.
U.S. dentists are also getting younger on average. The average age of dentists is now 48.8, down from the peak of 50 in 2014, reversing a trend of gradual increases since 2001. Additionally, more dentists are entering the workforce directly after graduating from dental school, reducing the sharp generational divide observed in 2017, when large shares of dentists were aged 30 to 40 or nearing retirement. Now, the shift toward a younger workforce is underway.
So far, Canada does not have comparable data for 2023. However, according to the Government of Canada, the median age of dentists was 45.8 in 2021, while the estimated median age of retirement in the same year was 64.
