Dental services priced at $100 in 1978 $927 in 2025

Dental Services Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Dental Services, 1978-2025 ($100)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for dental services are 827% higher in 2025 versus 1978 (a $827 difference in value).

Between 1978 and 2025: Dental services experienced an average inflation rate of 4.85% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, dental services costing $100 in the year 1978 would cost $927 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.43% during this same period, inflation for dental services was higher.

In the year 1978: Pricing changed by 7.02%, which is above the average yearly change for dental services during the 1978-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1978 (7.63%), inflation for dental services was lower.

Price Inflation for Dental services since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (11.81%), 1975 (10.28%), and 1947 (9.59%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $100.00 since 1978

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Dental services, over time, for $100 beginning in 1978. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1978$100.007.02%
1979$108.428.42%
1980$121.2211.81%
1981$132.849.59%
1982$143.147.75%
1983$152.756.71%
1984$165.168.13%
1985$175.586.31%
1986$185.395.59%
1987$197.906.75%
1988$211.366.80%
1989$224.466.20%
1990$239.416.66%
1991$257.307.47%
1992$274.606.72%
1993$289.085.27%
1994$302.914.78%
1995$317.874.94%
1996$332.764.68%
1997$348.264.66%
1998$362.994.23%
1999$379.964.68%
2000$397.304.56%
2001$413.394.05%
2002$431.904.48%
2003$449.584.09%
2004$471.684.91%
2005$497.935.57%
2006$523.845.20%
2007$550.825.15%
2008$579.185.15%
2009$596.482.99%
2010$612.822.74%
2011$627.082.33%
2012$641.562.31%
2013$663.533.42%
2014$677.752.14%
2015$694.922.53%
2016$714.682.84%
2017$726.261.62%
2018$746.172.74%
2019$762.512.19%
2020$785.443.01%
2021$802.992.23%
2022$835.614.06%
2023$882.625.63%
2024$920.484.29%
2025$927.000.71%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Dental services:

Year1935193619371938193919401941194219431944194519461947194819491950195119521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
CPI13.40013.40013.70013.80013.80013.80013.80014.20014.80015.60016.30017.20018.85019.78020.54021.04021.84022.30023.06023.76024.00024.48025.06025.88026.48027.00027.12027.88028.68029.46730.37531.36032.96034.74037.06939.17741.70043.43144.77748.19253.14656.56260.80065.06970.54678.87786.43893.13899.392107.469114.246120.631128.769137.531146.054155.785167.423178.677188.100197.100206.838216.523226.608236.192247.238258.523268.992281.031292.538306.915324.000340.862358.415376.867388.127398.756408.034417.461431.757441.005452.182465.039472.571485.525496.160511.079522.500543.726574.315598.951603.189

Adjust dental services prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2025 / CPI in 1978 * 1978 USD value = 2025 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Dental services was 65.069 in the year 1978 and 603.189 in 2025:

603.189 / 65.069 * $100 = $927

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $100 in 1978 has the same "purchasing power" as $927 in 2025 (in the CPI category of Dental services).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Dental services in 1935. In addition to dental services, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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