Number of general dentists and advanced practice dental therapists per 100,000 population
Source: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/dental_provider/state/IN Last accessed 02/14/2023
U.S. Value: 62.3(2021); 60.6 (2022)
Healthiest State: Alaska: 92.0 (2021); (89.9 2022)
Least-healthy State: Delaware: 39.6 (2021); (38.9 in 2022)
Definition: Number of general dentists and advanced practice dental therapists per 100,000 population
Data Source & Year(s): U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, September 2021; U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, September 2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2022 and 2023.
Despite projections of steady growth in the number of working dentists, the Health Resources and Services Administration has identified many areas and populations that have an inadequate supply of dentists to meet current or future needs. Dentists diagnose oral diseases, create treatment plans, promote oral health and disease prevention, perform surgical procedures and manage oral trauma. Oral health provides a window into general health. Many underlying health conditions, such as eating disorders, diabetes and immune disorders, have close connections to oral health. Dentists diagnose oral diseases, create treatment plans, promote oral health and disease prevention, perform surgical procedures and manage oral trauma.
Oral infections and periodontal (gum) disease are associated with diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite projections of steady growth in the number of working dentists, the Health Resources and Services Administration has identified many areas and populations that have an inadequate supply of dentists to meet current or future needs.
Some of the most significant oral health disparities are in rural communities. Disparities in oral health care contribute to higher rates of dental caries and edentulism (toothlessness) in rural populations compared with urban populations. Contributing factors to these disparities include:
Healthy People 2030 has multiple objectives related to oral health, including increasing the use of the oral health care system and reducing the proportion of people who can’t get the dental care they need when they need it.
Strategies to increase the size of the dental workforce, particularly in rural communities, include:
Source: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/dental_provider/state/IN Last accessed 6/29/2022
The ADA (American Dental Association) put this figure lower at 47.66 per 100,000 population still indicating a downward trend since 2016.
https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/hpidata_supply_of_dentists_2021.xlsx?rev=5a77b55be401470483e65011fbca7c18&hash=791602EB2E5A91F065BBC975ACBCBDC2 Last accesses 02/14/2023
2022:
https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/dental_provider/state/IN Last accessed 02/14/2023.
2021-2018: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/dental_provider/state/IN?edition-year=2021 (Graph for dental care providers)
2017-2014: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/dentists/state/IN?edition-year=2018