Dentists
About
Ratio of population to dentists. The 2024 Annual Data Release used data from 2022 for this measure.
Untreated dental disease can lead to serious health effects including pain, infection, and tooth loss. Although lack of sufficient providers is only one barrier to accessing oral health care, much of the country suffers from shortages. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), as of December 2023, there were 7,651 Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), with a total of 79 million residents.1
Data and methods
Data Source
Area Health Resource File/National Provider Identifier Downloadable File
The Area Health Resource File is a collection of data from more than 60 sources, including: the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, U.S. Census Bureau, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and National Center for Health Statistics.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services maintains the National Provider Identifier (NPI) Downloadable File. This file contains information on every healthcare provider with a provider ID number. Any provider who electronically transmits health information in connection with a HIPAA standard transaction is required to have a provider ID.
Information from AHRF should be appropriately attributed through the use of the following citation: Area Health Resources Files (AHRF) 2022-2023. US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Workforce, Rockville, MD.
Website to download data
For more detailed methodological information
Key Measure Methods
Dentists is a ratio
Dentists is the ratio of the population to dentists. The ratio represents the population served by one dentist if the entire population of a county were distributed equally across all practicing dentists. For example, if a county has a population of 50,000 and has 20 dentists, the county ratio would be: 2,500:1. The value on the right side of the ratio is always 1 or 0; 1 indicates that there is at least one dentist in the county, and zero indicates there are no registered dentists in the county.
Dentists has been corrected
We found an error in the calculation of population to provider ratios for Dentists affecting the Annual Data Release in 2013 and 2014. We were double-counting people living in group quarters (like dorms or prisons) in each county. The correct estimates of the ratios for Dentists are available on the Health Snapshots and downloadable datasets.
Some data are suppressed
A missing value is reported for counties with population greater than 4,000 and 0 dentists.
Caution should be used when comparing these estimates across years
Caution should be used when comparing across years. For more information, please visit the Area Health Resources File Technical documentation.
Measure limitations
Rgistered dentists are reported by county, but dentists living on the edge of counties or who practice in multiple locations may see patients who reside in surrounding counties. These data come from the National Provider Identifier Downloadable File, which has some limitations. Providers who transmit electronic health records are required to obtain an identification number, but some providers may not obtain a number. While providers have the option of deactivating their identification number, some dentists included in this list may no longer be practicing or accepting new patients.
Left side of ratio
The left side of the ratio represents the county population.
Right side of ratio
The right side of the ratio represents the dentists corresponding to county population. Registered dentists with a National Provider Identifier are counted.
Can This Measure Be Used to Track Progress
This measure can be used to track progress. In order to better understand this estimate, confirming this data with additional sources of data at the local level is particularly valuable.
Finding More Data
Disaggregation means breaking data down into smaller, meaningful subgroups. Disaggregated data are often broken down by characteristics of people or where they live. Disaggregated data can reveal inequalities that are otherwise hidden. These data can be disaggregated by:
- Age
- Gender
It is difficult to stratify this measure by many population demographics or by subcounty location. However, data on dentists is available by gender and age in the Area Health Resources Files from the American Dental Association Masterfile.
References
1 Bureau of Health Workforce, Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Designated Health Professional Shortage Areas statistics. First quarter of fiscal year 2024 designated HPSA quarterly summary. HRSA; December 31, 2023. Accessed January 23, 2024.