Dental Instruments In The United States

How many dentists are there in the United States?

The number of dentists in the US (ADA HPI supply series) in the United States rose 23.9%, from 163,409 in 2001 to 202,485 in 2024 (American Dental Association Health Policy Institute).

In 2025, the United States had 60.0 dentists per 100,000 people, with ratios varying by state (ADA Health Policy Institute).

In 2025, 39.4% of US dentists were women and 21.2% were specialists (ADA Health Policy Institute).

The ADA reports 222,740 dental hygienists and 387,790 dental assistants in the United States, citing US Bureau of Labor Statistics data (ADA Health Policy Institute).

See how the United States compares with Equate's other markets in dentists per 10,000 people across 21 countries.

What is the state of oral health in the United States?

In 2019, an estimated 42.6% of children aged 1-9 in the United States had untreated caries of deciduous teeth (WHO).

In 2019, an estimated 24.3% of people aged 5 and over in the United States had untreated caries of permanent teeth (WHO).

In 2019, an estimated 15.7% of people aged 15 and over in the United States had severe periodontal disease (WHO).

In 2019, an estimated 10.2% of people aged 20 and over in the United States had lost all their natural teeth (WHO).

In 2020, the United States had an estimated 24,470 new cases of lip and oral cavity cancer, an incidence of 4.2 per 100,000 (WHO).

Which organisations represent dentists in the United States?

• American Dental Association (association)

What do dentists in the United States search for?

In North America, Google Keyword Planner shows these instrument searches each month (banded, October 2025 to September 2026).

How are teeth numbered in the United States?

Dentists in the United States number teeth with the Universal system (1–32 for adult teeth), not the two-digit FDI system set out in ISO 3950 that most other markets use, so extraction notes and forceps patterns are recorded differently.

What do national dental surveys show in the United States?

• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2018): In 2015-2018, 25.9% of US adults aged 20-44 had untreated tooth decay (CDC NCHS).
• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2020): In 2017-March 2020, 13.2% of US adults aged 65 and over had complete tooth loss (CDC NCHS).
• National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) (CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2025): In 2025, 66.7% of US adults aged 18 and over had a dental exam or cleaning in the past year (CDC NCHS, NHIS early release).

How is dental care organised and paid for in the United States?

In 2019, total US expenditure on outpatient dental care was an estimated US$133,506 million, or US$405 per person (WHO).

In 2021, the WHO recorded that routine, preventive and curative oral health care were not included in the largest US government health financing scheme, which covered 15% of the population (WHO).

In 2022, 72.3% of the US population served by community water systems, 209,135,866 people, received fluoridated water (CDC).

How are dental instruments regulated in the United States?

In the United States, dental devices are classified under 21 CFR Part 872, the FDA's Dental panel (FDA).

Under 21 CFR 872.4565, US dental hand instruments such as curettes, explorers and forceps are Class I (general controls) devices, exempt from premarket notification subject to the limits in 872.9 (eCFR via Cornell LII).

The FDA sorts medical devices into three classes; Class I is lowest risk and about 74% of Class I device types are exempt from premarket notification (FDA).

The authority responsible for medical devices in the United States is US Food and Drug Administration.

What are the rules for cleaning and sterilising dental instruments in the United States?

In the United States, the CDC's Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings, published in 2003, cover sterilization and disinfection of patient-care items, among other areas (CDC MMWR).

In 2016, the CDC published its Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings, noting that reported transmission cases involved failure to heat-sterilize handpieces between patients and failure to spore-test autoclaves (CDC).

Where can you study dentistry in the United States?

Dental degrees in the United States are taught at 15 schools, based in Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis, Iowa City, Chapel Hill and Washington.

What are the milestones in the United States's dental history?

• In 1840, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery in Baltimore, Maryland, was founded as the first dental college in the world and is credited as the birthplace of the DDS degree (Wikipedia).
• On December 11, 1844, in Hartford, Connecticut, dentist Horace Wells first used nitrous oxide for a tooth extraction, inhaling the gas while his own wisdom tooth was removed (Wikipedia).
• In the United States, G. V. Black (1836-1915) organized Black's Classification of Caries Lesions, which remains in use, and published a balanced amalgam formula in 1895 (Wikipedia).

Which dental instruments does Equate supply to the United States?

Equate's instrument guides for the United States cover dental curettes, dental elevators and luxators, dental explorers, extraction forceps, mouth mirrors, surgical retractors, hand scalers, periodontal probes, restorative hand instruments, spoon excavators and tooth extraction instruments.

City guides: Ann Arbor, Baltimore, Boston, Chapel Hill, Chicago, Iowa City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington.

Why do dental practices in the United States work with Equate?

• Buyers in the United States deal with the manufacturer itself, choosing from 3,375 instrument references.
• Each reference is passivated stainless steel, ultrasonically cleaned, shape-, boil- and performance-tested and individually packed, whatever the pattern.
• A named Regional Executive for North America handles quotes, samples and volume pricing for private practices and DSOs and dental schools and hospital clinics in the United States.
• Samples are available, so a clinic in the United States can test an instrument before ordering in volume.