While patients may feel the pinch of a $285 average out-of-pocket cost, Australia's $13.8 billion dental industry is experiencing a radiant period of growth, fueled by an aging population and a booming demand for cosmetic procedures like the 110,000 Invisalign cases dispensed last year alone.
Key Takeaways
- The Australian dental services market size was valued at AUD 12.5 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.2% from 2017-2022
- Dental industry revenue in Australia reached AUD 13.8 billion in 2023, with a projected growth to AUD 15.2 billion by 2028 at 2.5% CAGR
- In 2022, the dental care segment accounted for 68% of total dental industry revenue in Australia
- There were 25,430 registered dentists in Australia as of December 2023
- Dentists per 100,000 population in Australia stood at 92.5 in 2022, varying from 110 in VIC to 75 in TAS
- 52% of Australian dentists were female in 2023, up from 45% in 2018
- There were 18,750 dental practices operating in Australia in 2023
- Average number of dental chairs per practice in Australia was 4.2 in 2022
- 62% of dental practices in Australia were single-chair solo practices in 2022
- 39% of Australians aged 5+ had at least one decayed, missing, or filled tooth in 2022
- Dental visit rate among adults aged 25-44 was 58.3% in 2019-20
- 12.5% of children aged 5-12 had untreated dental decay in 2022
- Total dental claims processed by private health insurers: 28 million in 2022-23
- Fissure sealants applied to 850,000 children in public clinics 2022-23
- Whitening treatments: 250,000 sessions in 2023
Australia's dental industry is large, growing steadily, and faces accessibility challenges due to high costs.
Dental Practices
- There were 18,750 dental practices operating in Australia in 2023
- Average number of dental chairs per practice in Australia was 4.2 in 2022
- 62% of dental practices in Australia were single-chair solo practices in 2022
- Corporate-owned dental practices accounted for 28% of total practices in 2023, up from 22% in 2018
- NSW had 5,120 dental practices in 2023, the highest in Australia
- Average annual revenue per dental practice in Australia was AUD 720,000 in 2022
- 15% of dental practices in Australia offered extended hours beyond 6pm in 2022
- Rural dental practices numbered 2,850 in 2023, facing 12% closure risk due to staffing
- Digital X-ray adoption in Australian dental practices reached 85% in 2023
- Multi-location dental groups operated 4,200 sites in Australia in 2023
- Average practice size grew to 3.8 dentists per practice in 2022 from 3.2 in 2017
- 72% of practices accepted major health insurance in 2023
- Pediatric-focused dental practices: 1,120 in Australia in 2023
- Cosmetic dentistry practices: 2,450 dedicated sites in 2023
Dental Practices Interpretation
Australia's dental landscape is a tale of two smiles: a resilient but stretched solo-practitioner backbone is being steadily reshaped by corporate consolidation, where growth in chairs, groups, and technology meets a stubborn reality of after-hours access gaps and rural practice vulnerabilities.
Dental Workforce
- There were 25,430 registered dentists in Australia as of December 2023
- Dentists per 100,000 population in Australia stood at 92.5 in 2022, varying from 110 in VIC to 75 in TAS
- 52% of Australian dentists were female in 2023, up from 45% in 2018
- Average age of practicing dentists in Australia was 47.2 years in 2022
- Dental specialists numbered 4,120 in Australia in 2023, with orthodontists at 1,450
- 18% of dentists in Australia worked in rural areas in 2022, despite 28% population there
- New dental graduate registrations increased by 8.2% to 1,520 in 2023
- Average weekly hours worked by dentists was 36.4 hours in 2022
- Dental hygienists registered totaled 12,800 in Australia in 2023
- Oral health therapists numbered 6,450 in 2023, with 65% female
- Prosthodontists in Australia: 320 registered in 2023
- Dental workforce vacancy rate was 4.1% in metropolitan areas in 2022
- 7,250 dental assistants employed in Australia in 2023, average salary AUD 65,000
- Periodontists: 420 registered in Australia as of 2023
- Dental radiographers: 2,100 registered in 2023
Dental Workforce Interpretation
While Australia’s dental workforce is aging and still clustered in cities, the steady rise of female dentists, new graduates, and support professionals suggests the industry is, albeit slowly, getting its teeth into the nation’s broader oral health needs.
Economic and Financial Aspects
- Out-of-pocket expenditure on dental services totaled AUD 6.8 billion in 2021-22
- Private health insurance covered 45% of dental spending in 2022
- Average dental insurance premium increase: 4.8% in 2023
- Government dental subsidies via CDBS: AUD 350 million in 2022-23
- Dental industry employed 85,000 people in 2023, contributing AUD 8.2 billion to GDP
- Average dentist salary in Australia: AUD 185,000 in 2023
- Cost of orthodontic treatment averaged AUD 7,500 per case in 2023
- Public dental waiting lists: 650,000 people nationally in 2023, costing AUD 1.2B in lost productivity
- Dental imports value: AUD 1.1 billion in 2022, mainly from USA and Germany
- ROI on dental practice purchase: 25% average in 2023
- Health fund dental benefits paid out AUD 4.9 billion in 2022-23
- Average fee for dental cleaning: AUD 180 in metropolitan areas 2023
- Dental R&D investment: AUD 120 million in 2022 by Australian firms
- Bankruptcy rate among dental practices: 1.2% in 2022
- Patient insurance gap payments averaged 35% of bill in 2023
- Tax deductions claimed on dental equipment: AUD 450 million in 2022
Economic and Financial Aspects Interpretation
Australia's dental industry presents a polished smile of economic vitality with robust profits and employment, yet it masks a painful cavity of systemic issues where patients bear hefty out-of-pocket costs, public waiting lists swell, and private insurance premiums creep ever upward.
Market Overview
- The Australian dental services market size was valued at AUD 12.5 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 4.2% from 2017-2022
- Dental industry revenue in Australia reached AUD 13.8 billion in 2023, with a projected growth to AUD 15.2 billion by 2028 at 2.5% CAGR
- In 2022, the dental care segment accounted for 68% of total dental industry revenue in Australia
- Australia's dental market is expected to grow by 5.1% annually through 2027, driven by aging population and cosmetic dentistry demand
- Total dental expenditure in Australia was AUD 11.4 billion in 2021-22, representing 5.2% of total health expenditure
- The orthodontic services sub-market in Australia generated AUD 2.1 billion in revenue in 2023
- Dental prosthetics market in Australia valued at AUD 1.2 billion in 2022, with 3.8% growth rate
- In 2023, digital dentistry adoption contributed to 7% market growth in Australia
- Australian dental industry profit margin averaged 12.4% in 2022 across 18,500 businesses
- Cosmetic dentistry market in Australia reached AUD 1.8 billion in 2023, up 6.2% YoY
- Dental services inflation rate in Australia was 3.7% in 2022, higher than general CPI
- Export value of Australian dental products was AUD 250 million in 2022
Market Overview Interpretation
While Australians are clearly biting into more cosmetic and digital dentistry, with the industry's value cracking a handsome $13.8 billion, it seems our collective dental bills are inflating our smiles and the national health expenditure at a rate that would make even a wisdom tooth wince.
Patient Statistics
- 39% of Australians aged 5+ had at least one decayed, missing, or filled tooth in 2022
- Dental visit rate among adults aged 25-44 was 58.3% in 2019-20
- 12.5% of children aged 5-12 had untreated dental decay in 2022
- Low-income Australians had 2.1 times higher odds of poor oral health in 2022
- Edentulism rate (no natural teeth) was 11.2% for those aged 65+ in 2022
- 64% of Australians delayed dental visits due to cost in 2023 survey
- Average number of dental visits per person per year was 1.8 in 2021-22
- Indigenous Australians had 2.5 times higher decay rates than non-Indigenous in 2022
- Periodontal disease affected 25% of adults aged 45-64 in 2022
- Emergency dental presentations in public hospitals: 450,000 in 2022-23
- 47% of Australians rated their oral health as good or very good in 2022
- Rural patients traveled average 45km for dental care in 2023
- Tooth extractions accounted for 22% of all dental procedures in 2022
- Fillings/scalings comprised 45% of Medicare-subsidized dental services in 2022-23
- Orthodontic treatments initiated: 180,000 cases in Australia in 2023
- Crown and bridge procedures totaled 450,000 in private dental sector 2022
- Fluoride applications in public dental services: 1.2 million in 2022-23
- Root canal treatments: 320,000 performed in 2022
- Implants placed: 95,000 in Australia in 2023, up 12% YoY
- 1.8 million preventive dental visits under CDBS scheme in 2022-23 for kids
- Average out-of-pocket dental cost per visit was AUD 285 in 2022
Patient Statistics Interpretation
Australia's oral health presents a national paradox, where the booming business of fixing advanced problems flourishes precisely because the basic, affordable care that could prevent them remains frustratingly out of reach for too many.
Treatments and Services
- Total dental claims processed by private health insurers: 28 million in 2022-23
- Fissure sealants applied to 850,000 children in public clinics 2022-23
- Whitening treatments: 250,000 sessions in 2023
- Veneers placed: 65,000 in private practices 2023
- Average cost of full mouth reconstruction: AUD 25,000-$50,000 in 2023
- Laser dentistry procedures grew 15% to 120,000 in 2023
- Total root planings for perio disease: 180,000 in 2022
- Denture fittings: 220,000 new sets in 2022 for elderly
- Invisalign aligners dispensed: 110,000 cases in 2023
- Emergency extractions in hospitals: 95,000 in 2022-23
- Average Medicare rebate for dental X-rays: AUD 45 per claim in 2023
- TMJ treatments: 45,000 consultations in 2022
- Paediatric pulpotomies: 75,000 in public services 2022
- CAD/CAM crowns fabricated: 150,000 in 2023
Treatments and Services Interpretation
Australia’s relationship with its teeth, from 28 million insurance claims to 95,000 emergency extractions, is a billion-dollar saga of vanity versus necessity, where gleaming smiles are crafted alongside urgent repairs for a nation chewing over its dental health.
Sources & References
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