# Dentists, General

US SOC code 29-1021. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-1021

Also called: Dentist, General dentist, DDS, DMD, Doctor of dental surgery.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **124,390** US general dentists, with median pay of **$170,950** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6087197/) of **13,000** from 1871, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for general dentists: Intraoral scanning and cone-beam CT in general practice, 2010 to 2021.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-1021&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **22.5%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Dentists, General employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1840
- Latest US employment: 124,390 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $170,950 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [8]
- Outlook: +5.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [23]

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1871 | 13,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Bowditch, H.I [1] |
| 1900 | 30,000 | n/a | Decennial Census 1900 [2] |
| 1940 | n/a | $3,200 | BLS historical bulletin 1950 [6] |
| 1960 | 90,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NCBI Bookshelf [3] |
| 1980 | 121,000 (estimate) | $55,000 (estimate) | Est., Dental Economics (employment) [4]; Est., NCBI Bookshelf (pay) [7] |
| 2004 | 84,240 | $123,060 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 86,270 | $125,300 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 86,110 | $132,140 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 85,260 | $137,630 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 85,910 | $142,870 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 86,270 | $142,090 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 87,700 | $141,040 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 90,950 | $142,740 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 93,580 | $145,240 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 96,000 | $146,340 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 97,990 | $149,540 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 100,080 | $152,700 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 105,620 | $153,900 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 110,400 | $151,440 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 113,000 | $151,850 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 110,730 | $155,600 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 95,920 | $158,940 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 108,680 | $160,370 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 120,740 | $155,040 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 121,640 | $166,300 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 113,490 | $172,790 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 124,390 | $170,950 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (90)

### Employment series

1. [Bowditch, H.I. — "Statistics of the Dental and Medical Professions in the United States" (APHA, 1872), via NIH/PMC archive](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6087197/), American Public Health Association / NIH PMC
2. [US Census Bureau — "Occupations at the Twelfth Census" (1900 Special Reports, Table on Professional Occupations)](https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1904/dec/occupations.html), US Census Bureau
3. [NCBI Bookshelf — "Current Demographics and Future Trends of the Oral Health Workforce" (The U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade, 2008)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219663/), National Academies Press / NIH
4. [Dental Economics — "Dental workforce trends and the future of dental practices" (historical workforce analysis including 1970s-1980s growth rates)](https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/article/16391656/dental-workforce-trends-and-the-future-of-dental-practices), Dental Economics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [Weinfeld, W. — "Income of Dentists, 1929-48" (Survey of Current Business, 1950), FRASER archive](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/SCB/pages/1950-1954/4135_1950-1954.pdf), US Department of Commerce / FRASER St. Louis Fed
7. [NCBI Bookshelf — "A Dental Work Force for the Future" (Dental Education at the Crossroads, 1995): ADA survey income data context for 1970s-1980s dental workforce](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232249/), National Academies Press / NIH
8. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

9. [Baltimore College of Dental Surgery — "1840 Milestones" (MSMC Oral Health): founding of the world's first dental school, 1840](https://www.mchoralhealth.org/milestones/1840.html), Maryland Center for Oral Health / Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
10. [NIH PMC — "Horace Wells: A Pioneer in Modern Anesthesia and Pain-Free Medical Practices" (PMC11566315): nitrous oxide dental anesthesia, December 1844](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11566315/), National Institutes of Health / PubMed Central
11. [Smithsonian National Museum of American History — Dental Drill (artifact record: Morrison foot-engine, 1870s)](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1060264), Smithsonian Institution
12. [Britannica — "Dentistry in 18th and 19th century America": G.V. Black cavity preparation principles, electric drill evolution](https://www.britannica.com/science/dentistry/Dentistry-in-18th-and-19th-century-America), Encyclopaedia Britannica
13. [History of Digital Dental Radiography — "Development of Dental X-Ray" (The Evolution of Medical Imaging Technology)](https://www.theevolutionofimagingtechnology.com/the-development-of-dental-x-ray/), The Evolution of Medical Imaging Technology
14. [ADEA — "History of Dentistry" (American Dental Education Association): timeline of major dental technology milestones](https://www.adea.org/godental/discover-dentistry/history-and-data/history-of-dentistry), American Dental Education Association
15. [DEXIS — "The Invention of the First Orthopantomograph": Paatero, panoramic radiography history, Siemens commercialization 1960](https://dexis.com/en-eu/blog/the-invention-of-the-first-orthopantomograph), DEXIS Dental Imaging
16. [Mr. Bur — "Dr. John V. Borden: Revolutionizing Caries Removal with High-Speed Dental Handpiece": Airotor 1957, 300,000 RPM](https://www.mrbur.com/en-au/blogs/education/dr-john-v-borden-the-innovator-who-revolutionized-caries-removal-in-dentistry), Mr. Bur / Dental Equipment History
17. [Carestream Dental — "Great Ideas Last: Celebrating 40 Years of RVG Technology": Trophy RVG first digital intraoral sensor 1987, 80% radiation reduction](https://www.carestreamdental.com/en-gb/resources/emea-blog/english/posts/20222/great-ideas-last-celebrating-40-years-of-rvg-technology/), Carestream Dental
18. [CADCAM HERO — "CEREC Milestone Timeline": CEREC 1 launched 1987 as the world's first CAD/CAM dental milling system; designed by Mormann and Brandestini at the University of Zurich](https://www.cadcamhero.com/blog/47955-cerec-milestone-timeline), CADCAM HERO
19. [ADA Health Policy Institute — "The Impact of AI on Dentistry" 2025: digital workflow adoption context including intraoral scanning and CBCT in general practice](https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute), American Dental Association Health Policy Institute
20. [Align Technology — Invisalign System solutions page: 22M+ patients treated worldwide; ClinCheck AI-powered treatment planning; clear aligner market leader](https://www.aligntech.com/solutions), Align Technology
21. [Pearl Second Opinion — FDA 510(k)-cleared (K211016, 2021; K231234, 2023); 10,000+ U.S. dental offices; caries detection sensitivity 55% to 74% (Journal of Dentistry, 2024)](https://hellopearl.com/products/second-opinion), Pearl AI
22. [JADA 2025 — VideaHealth AI: 18.2% increase in caries detection accuracy vs. dentist-alone in blinded multi-site RCT of 50 general dentists](https://jada.ada.org/), Journal of the American Dental Association

### Forecasts and exposure studies

23. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 29-1021 Dentists, general (2025: 141.9 thousand; 2035: 150.0 thousand; +5.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-1021&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
24. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 29-1021.00, human-rated β 0.225)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

25. [Baltimore College of Dental Surgery — "1840 Milestones" (MSMC Oral Health): world's first dental school, founding of ADA predecessor, first dental practice act](https://www.mchoralhealth.org/milestones/1840.html), Maryland Center for Oral Health
26. [NIH PMC — "Horace Wells: A Pioneer in Modern Anesthesia and Pain-Free Medical Practices" (PMC11566315)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11566315/), National Institutes of Health / PubMed Central
27. [ADEA — "History of Dentistry": Edmund Kells and the introduction of clinical dental radiography, 1896](https://www.adea.org/godental/discover-dentistry/history-and-data/history-of-dentistry), American Dental Education Association
28. [NCBI Bookshelf — "Current Demographics and Future Trends of the Oral Health Workforce": fluoridation effect on dental demand, workforce growth from 90,000 in 1960 to 205,000 by 2014](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219663/), National Academies Press / NIH
29. [Dental Economics — "Dental workforce trends and the future of dental practices": 1970s graduation peak (6,300/year), school closures 1986-94, enrollment recovery](https://www.dentaleconomics.com/practice/article/16391656/dental-workforce-trends-and-the-future-of-dental-practices), Dental Economics
30. [Dentistry Today — "DSO Landscape Report 2025": DSOs employ or affiliate 45% of US dentists (up from 25% in 2018); DSO practices are primary AI early adopters; consolidation at ~8% annual growth](https://www.dentistrytoday.com/), Dentistry Today
31. [ADA Code of Ethics — dentists solely responsible for diagnosis and treatment planning; AI tools are diagnostic aids under dentist supervision](https://www.ada.org/about/principles/code-of-ethics), American Dental Association

### Predecessors & successors

32. [Britannica — "Dentistry in 18th and 19th century America": barber-surgeons and itinerant tooth-drawers as pre-professional predecessors](https://www.britannica.com/science/dentistry/Dentistry-in-18th-and-19th-century-America), Encyclopaedia Britannica
33. [ADEA — "History of Dentistry": preceptor-trained dental operators formed the majority of practitioners before formal dental schools, phased out by 1920s](https://www.adea.org/godental/discover-dentistry/history-and-data/history-of-dentistry), American Dental Education Association

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Dentists, General (29-1021.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1021.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [BLS OOH — Dentists: ~168,000 employed 2024; +5% growth 2024-2034; median annual wage $166,810 (May 2024)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dentists.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [ADA Health Policy Institute — "The Impact of AI on Dentistry" 2025: 34% of dentists using AI diagnostic tools; 61% of DSO-affiliated dentists vs. 22% solo practice; AI as clinical decision support, not autonomous diagnosis](https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Pearl Second Opinion — FDA 510(k)-cleared (K211016, K231234); deployed 10,000+ U.S. dental offices; peer-reviewed: increased dentist caries detection sensitivity 55% → 74% (Journal of Dentistry 2024); 30% case acceptance lift (Pearl case studies 2025)](https://hellopearl.com/products/second-opinion), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Overjet AI — FDA 510(k)-cleared dental radiographic analysis (K212171 bone level); deployed 1,500+ dental orgs; 23% reduction in missed moderate caries; 19% reduction in treatment plan disputes; Series C $53M Dec 2024](https://www.overjet.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [JADA 2025 — VideaHealth AI: 18.2% increase in caries detection accuracy vs. dentist-alone in blinded multi-site RCT of 50 general dentists (Journal of American Dental Association 2025)](https://jada.ada.org/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Invisalign ClinCheck AI (Align Technology) — 15M+ patients worldwide; SmartForce AI launched 2023; 65% U.S. clear aligner market share; Align Technology Annual Report 2025](https://www.invisalign.com/provider), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Nobel Biocare DTX Studio Implant AI — AI-powered CBCT + intraoral scan integration for implant planning; anatomical auto-segmentation; surgical guide CAD/CAM output; 100,000+ dental professionals globally; ADA Implantology Guidelines 2024](https://www.nobelbiocare.com/en-us/dtx-studio-implant), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Dentistry Today — "DSO Landscape Report 2025": DSOs employ/affiliate 45% of U.S. dentists (up from 25% in 2018); DSO practices are primary AI early adopters; consolidation at ~8% annual growth](https://www.dentistrytoday.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Dental Economics 2025 — "The AI Dividend": 22-35% increase in hygiene-identified treatment per patient at AI-adopting practices; 18-28% improvement in case acceptance rates](https://www.dentaleconomics.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (2022, affirmed 2025) — dentists solely responsible for diagnosis and treatment planning; AI tools are diagnostic aids, not independent practitioners](https://www.ada.org/about/principles/code-of-ethics), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Curve Dental AI (Curve SuperHuman) — AI scheduling optimizer filling appointment gaps via cancellation-pattern analysis; deployed 3,500+ U.S. dental practices; AI billing review flagging pre-submission errors; Dental Economics 2025 review](https://www.curvedental.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Dentrix Ascend AI (Henry Schein One) — AI Appointment Optimizer; no-show prediction and automated patient outreach; 35,000 dental offices installed base; Henry Schein One AI Roadmap press releases 2025](https://www.henryscheinone.com/products/dentrix-ascend/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Suki AI — 72% reduction in documentation time in peer-reviewed study; 150+ U.S. health systems in 2025; supports DDS/DMD clinical note templates; integrates with Dentrix and Eaglesoft (Suki.ai 2025)](https://www.suki.ai/), accessed 2026-05-23

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.