By Dr. Ryan Hungate, Chief Clinical and Strategy Officer, Henry Schein One
Ask a dentist what they love about their work, and you will likely get a warm, specific answer. Ask how they feel about their job right now, and the tone often changes. Many dentists describe a career that has grown heavier with every passing year, and the research backs up what many are saying out loud.
An American Dental Association survey found that 84 percent of dentists reported pain or discomfort while working, and the share diagnosed with anxiety had more than tripled since 2003. A later ADA trend survey found that nearly 60 percent of dentists reporting major career stress were considering a career change or early retirement. A 2026 survey of more than 7,900 dental professionals, including hygienists and assistants, named workload and office culture as the top drivers of burnout. These are not signs of a profession that has lost its skill or its purpose. They are signs of a profession that has been asked to carry too much.
Much of that weight comes from the business of dentistry. A practice has to verify eligibility, submit claims, chase payments, manage schedules, follow up with patients, and stay compliant, all while a dentist is working on someone’s teeth. The ADA’s outlook research found that slow or unpredictable insurance payments were the biggest worry for dentists heading into 2026. Dr. Scott Kalniz of Beam Benefits has described the challenge as balancing growing operational complexity with the need to deliver personalized care. Add student debt, staffing shortages, and rising costs, and work that once felt like a calling can start to feel like a second job in bookkeeping and phone calls.
Enjoying the work again will take real change, and it starts with removing what pulls dentists away from patients. That means fewer hours lost to phone holds and portal logins, cleaner claims that get paid on time, and schedules that work for the practice rather than against it. It also means fewer dentists having to build a practice alone. Those are the conditions that let a dentist walk into an exam room feeling capable and curious again.
Technology is one of the most promising levers and the key to achieving a new golden age of dentistry. Automation is beginning to reach the daily work of the office. Scheduling tools can fill open chair time, send text reminders, and rebook patients who cancel. AI can flag areas of concern on radiographs and help a dentist review them faster, with the dentist still making the final call. Voice-driven tools can turn spoken observations into structured clinical notes, so the record is complete without typing between patients. Eligibility checks, which once meant long holds or logging into several insurance portals, can increasingly happen automatically before the appointment. Revenue cycle management can be monitored by software that flags denials and missed payments early rather than months later. None of this replaces the dentist. It gives the dentist back the hours and focus needed to do the work they trained for.
AI is the part most people are asking about, and adoption is still early. The ADA’s 2026 research found that about 43 percent of dentists use AI for at least one task in its practice, but fewer than 5 percent use it for treatment recommendations. In my view, that is the right order. AI belongs first in the background work, where it saves time without asking anyone to hand over a clinical decision. Let AI handle the reminders, the verification, the scheduling, and the claims follow-up. Let the dentist keep the diagnosis and the conversation with the patient.
The strain dentists are currently facing also shapes who chooses to practice. Many graduates start with nearly $300,000 in education debt, and a new practice can take 12 to 18 months to break even. Five years ago, 16 percent of new graduates said they wanted to own a practice. Today, 34 percent are choosing dental service organizations instead. When start-up costs are high and the administrative load is heavy, independence can feel out of reach. Tools and support that reduce overhead from day one may help more dentists choose ownership again.
A golden age of dentistry isn’t about nostalgia. It is about giving dentists their time, energy, and sense of purpose back. When the administrative load gets lighter, a dentist has room to be present with patients, and patients can tell the difference. The joy of dentistry was never really about the paperwork. It was about the people in the chair, and anything that clears the way for that work is good for the profession.
About the author: Dr. Ryan Hungate, Chief Clinical and Strategy Officer, is revolutionizing revenue cycle management and integrating our diverse products into the unified Henry Schein One platform. As an orthodontist and the founder of Simplifeye, a company that streamlines dental practice operations with cutting-edge technology, Dr. Hungate is most passionate about making the RCM process for all dentists invisible.
Dr. Hungate holds a BA, MS, & DDS from Ball State University, Indiana University School of Dentistry, and the University of Southern California. He currently lives in Indianapolis, IN with his amazing wife Lauren and enjoys golfing and hanging out with his new daughter.
