J Am Dent Assoc. 1976 Jul;93(1):129-33.
Dentists' fees, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, increased at about the same rate in the past eight years as average prices in the economy. Between 1967 and 1975, dentists' fees increased 61.9% compared with a 61.2% increase in average prices of all goods and services measured in the index. In the years since 1967, the cost of conducting a dental practice has steadily increased. Dentists' expenses for materials and services increased approximately twice as fast as the increase in dental fees. On the basis of ADA survey data, 1-3 dentists' professional expenses increased 133% and dentists' salary expenses for auxiliaries increased 148% between 1967 and 1975, whereas dentists' fees increased only 62%.
