Contents:

I Introduction A The Survey of Dental Practice 1 B Annual Expenses of Operating a Private Practice 2 C Overview of Net Income, Gross Billings and Total Expenses 3 D Types of Dentists 4 II Private Practice Dentistry in the United States, 2002 6 III Annual Expenses of Operating a Private Practice 7 A Independent Dentists 7 B Solo Dentists 28 C Independent Nonsolo Dentists 49 D New Dentists 70 IV Survey Methodology 77 V Glossary 78 VI The 2003 Survey of Dental Practice Survey Instrument 81 II Private Practice Dentistry In The United States, 2002 Table 1: Primary and Secondary Occupations of Dentists in Private Practice, 2002 (Weighted) 6 III Annual Expenses of Operating a Private Practice A Independent Dentists A 1 All Independent Dentists Table 2: Annual Expenses for All Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 8 Table 3: Total Expenses for All Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 9 Table 4: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 10 Table 5: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 11 Table 6: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for All Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 12 Table 7: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for All Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 13 A 2 Independent General Practitioners Table 8: Annual Expenses for Independent General Practitioners, 2002 15 Table 9: Total Expenses for Independent General Practitioners, 2002 16 Table 10: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent General Practitioners, 2002 17 Table 11: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent General Practitioners, 2002 18 Table 12: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for Independent General Practitioners, 2002 19 Table 13: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for Independent General Practitioners, 2002 20 A 3 Independent Specialists Table 14: Annual Expenses for Independent Specialists, 2002 22 Table 15: Total Expenses for Independent Specialists, 2002 23 Table 16: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Specialists, 2002 24 Table 17: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Specialists, 2002 25 Table 18: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for Independent Specialists, 2002 26 Table 19: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for Independent Specialists, 2002 27 B Solo Dentists B 1 All Solo Dentists Table 20: Annual Expenses for All Solo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 29 Table 21: Total Expenses for All Solo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 30 Table 22: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Solo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 31 Table 23: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Solo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 32 Table 24: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for All Solo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 33 Table 25: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for All Solo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 34 B 2 Solo General Practitioners Table 26: Annual Expenses for Solo General Practitioners, 2002 36 Table 27: Total Expenses for Solo General Practitioners, 2002 37 Table 28: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Solo General Practitioners, 2002 38 Table 29: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Solo General Practitioners, 2002 39 Table 30: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for Solo General Practitioners, 2002 40 Table 31: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for Solo General Practitioners, 2002 41 B 3 Solo Specialists Table 32: Annual Expenses for Solo Specialists, 2002 43 Table 33: Total Expenses for Solo Specialists, 2002 44 Table 34: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Solo Specialists, 2002 45 Table 35: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Solo Specialists, 2002 46 Table 36: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for Solo Specialists, 2002 47 Table 37: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for Solo Specialists, 2002 48 C Independent Nonsolo Dentists C 1 All Independent Nonsolo Dentists Table 38: Annual Expenses for All Independent Nonsolo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 50 Table 39: Total Expenses for All Independent Nonsolo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 51 Table 40: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Independent Nonsolo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 52 Table 41: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Independent Nonsolo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 53 Table 42: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for All Independent Nonsolo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 54 Table 43: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for All Independent Nonsolo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 55 C 2 Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners Table 44: Annual Expenses for Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners, 2002 57 Table 45: Total Expenses for Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners, 2002 58 Table 46: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners, 2002 59 Table 47: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners, 2002 60 Table 48: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners, 2002 61 Table 49: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners, 2002 62 C 3 Independent Nonsolo Specialists Table 50: Annual Expenses for Independent Nonsolo Specialists, 2002 64 Table 51: Total Expenses for Independent Nonsolo Specialists, 2002 65 Table 52: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Nonsolo Specialists, 2002 66 Table 53: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Nonsolo Specialists, 2002 67 Table 54: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for Independent Nonsolo Specialists, 2002 68 Table 55: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for Independent Nonsolo Specialists, 2002 69 D New Independent Dentists D 1 All New Independent Dentists Table 56: Annual Expenses for All New Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 71 Table 57: Total Expenses for All New Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 72 Table 58: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All New Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 73 Table 59: Total Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All New Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 74 Table 60: Selected Annual Expenses on a Per Employee Basis for All New Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 75 Table 61: Selected Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings on a Per Employee Basis for All New Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 76 I Introduction D Types of Dentists Figure 1: Distribution of Responding Dentists Whose Primary Occupation was Private Practice, 2002 5 II Private Practice Dentistry in the United States, 2002 Figure 2: Employment Situation of All Dentists in Private Practice, 2002 (Weighted) 6 III Annual Expenses of Operating a Private Practice A Independent Dentists A 1 All Independent Dentists Figure 3: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 7 A 2 Independent General Practitioners Figure 4: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent General Practitioners, 2002 14 A 3 Independent Specialists Figure 5: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Specialists, 2002 21 B Solo Dentists B 1 All Solo Dentists Figure 6: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Solo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 28 B 2 Solo General Practitioners Figure 7: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Solo General Practitioners, 2002 35 B 3 Solo Specialists Figure 8: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Solo Specialists, 2002 42 C Independent Nonsolo Dentists C 1 All Independent Nonsolo Dentists Figure 9: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All Independent Nonsolo Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 49 C 2 Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners Figure 10: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Nonsolo General Practitioners, 2002 56 C 3 Independent Nonsolo Specialists Figure 11: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for Independent Nonsolo Specialists, 2002 63 D New Independent Dentists D 1 All New Independent Dentists Figure 12: Annual Expenses as a Percentage of Gross Billings for All New Independent Dentists, 2002 (Weighted) 70