Why are dentists so expensive?

While it appears that dentists charge more than necessary, it costs to run an office. Typically, between 60 and 80 percent of what patients pay to their dentists covers overhead, which can include rent/mortgage payments on their office, payroll for hygienist, office managers, and receptionists, health insurance, taxes, supplies, business insurance and technology. Then, the cost to send patients to labs to have other work completed can increase the charge for certain services.


In total, patients are not only paying for what it costs dentists to manage their offices, but they are also paying for their expertise as well. Dentist spend a lot of time in school after their baccalaureate degrees training to be dentists, and in some cases, these dentists specialize in certain areas, so that requires extensive training. For this reason, not only are you paying for the dentist to manage the office, but you are also paying for the professional’s expertise.