In this survey, 22% of dentists said they have raised their fees to stay competitive.

The majority, however, haven’t yet done so, and a few docs have even lowered fees.

“No one’s lowering my costs. So far my vendors, my labs, and my employees haven’t volunteered to lower their costs to me!” said a New York prosthodontist.

Dentists had a lot of opinions on the subject:

• “We have considered raising fees, but we are holding off for now. We were concerned we may discourage patients from proceeding with routine care and surgical therapy.” (California periodontist)”I have raised fees, but so far, it has not translated to the bottom line.” (Massachusetts dentist)
• “We may not raise fees unless supply costs continue to rise. Wages must also remain as is, or fees will have to rise.” (Wisconsin dentist)
• “The drop in the financial market has affected us. Gross is down 35%.” (New York dentist)
• “We raised our fees significantly and there has not been one complaint.” (Illinois dentist)
• “Elective procedures are down, and patients are deferring expensive dental implant restorations.” (New York oral surgeon)
• “We might increase cash discounts to encourage cash flow.” (Missouri dentist)

Read more: Changing Dental Fees in a Tough Economy