DDSWhat is the age distribution of U.S. dentists?
Of the 205,088 professionally active U.S. dentists in 2025, 17.4% were under 35, 26.3% were 35 to 44, 22.5% were 45 to 54, 18.6% were 55 to 64 and 15.2% were 65 or older, according to the ADA Health Policy Institute. The largest single group is dentists aged 35 to 44.
How many dentists are near retirement age?
Adding the two oldest bands, 33.8% of U.S. dentists were 55 or older in 2025. With the average dentist retiring at 68.7 in 2024, most of the 65-and-older group is within a few years of the typical exit age, and the 55-to-64 group follows behind it.
The full retirement series is on dentist retirement statistics and when dentists retire.
Does a dentist’s age predict a practice sale?
No. Age describes the workforce, not any one owner’s plans, and many older dentists are associates with no practice to sell. Population age figures are context for reading public-record events at practices, which DDSIntel groups as dental transition signals and publishes only in aggregate, by state and region.
Frequently asked questions
What share of dentists are 65 or older?
15.2% of professionally active U.S. dentists were 65 or older in 2025, according to the ADA Health Policy Institute.
What share of dentists are under 35?
17.4% in 2025.
At what age do dentists retire?
The average was 68.7 in 2024, up from 64.7 in 2001.
Where does the age data come from?
The ADA Health Policy Institute’s dentist workforce data, linked in the sources below.
Sources
- ADA Health Policy Institute. The dentist workforce. ada.org.
Questions or corrections: request a correction. Markdown version: /data/dentist-age-distribution.md.