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Alaska Value:
Number of general dentists and advanced practice dental therapists per 100,000 population
Alaska Rank:
Appears In:
Number of general dentists and advanced practice dental therapists per 100,000 population
US Value: 64.6
Top State(s): Alaska: 96.8
Bottom State(s): Delaware: 40.5
Definition: Number of general dentists and advanced practice dental therapists per 100,000 population
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Plan and Provider Enumeration System, September 2023
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 2024.
Despite projections of steady growth in the number of working dentists, the Health Resources and Services Administration has identified many areas and populations in the United States that have an inadequate supply of dentists to meet current or future needs. In addition to diagnosing, treating or managing oral health conditions and performing surgical procedures, dentists provide critical preventive care through routine visits. Poor oral health can negatively impact quality of life, causing pain or tooth loss, and contributing to other health conditions like eating disorders, diabetes and immune disorders. More than 40% of adults reported feeling mouth pain in the past year, and 80% of people have had at least one cavity by age 34.
Some of the most significant oral health disparities are in rural communities, which report lower access to and use of dental services and have higher rates of dental problems. Contributing factors to these disparities include:
Strategies to increase the size of the dental workforce, particularly in rural communities, include:
Healthy People 2030 has multiple objectives related to oral health, including:
Bersell, Catherine H. “Access to Oral Health Care: A National Crisis and Call for Reform.” Journal of Dental Hygiene 91, no. 1 (February 2017): 6–14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29118145/.
Braswell, Anne, and Nalo Johnson. “Rural America’s Oral Health Care Needs.” National Rural Health Association Policy Brief. National Rural Health Association, February 2013. https://www.ruralhealth.us/getattachment/Advocate/Policy-Documents/RuralAmericasOralHealthCareNeeds-(1).pdf.aspx?lang=en-US.
Griffin, Susan O., Judith A. Jones, Diane Brunson, Paul M. Griffin, and William D. Bailey. “Burden of Oral Disease Among Older Adults and Implications for Public Health Priorities.” American Journal of Public Health 102, no. 3 (January 19, 2012): 411–18. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300362.
Hannan, Casey J., Timothy L. Ricks, Lorena Espinoza, and Jane A. Weintraub. “Addressing Oral Health Inequities, Access to Care, Knowledge, and Behaviors.” Preventing Chronic Disease 18 (2021). https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd18.210060.
Langelier, Margaret. “The Impact of Changing Workforce Models on Access to Oral Health Care Services.” Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, October 23, 2018. https://www.oralhealthworkforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/OHWRC_Harvard_10_2018.pdf.
Munson, Bradley, and Marko Vujicic. “Projected Supply of Dentists in the United States, 2020 – 2040.” American Dental Association, May 2021. https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/resources/research/hpi/hpibrief_0521_1.pdf?rev=b5f3e8a7c15f4fd5a238314d0f58945c&hash=1688579EF176F8C6B240A4BBC5477E30.
Potter, Wendell B. “Expanding the Dental Workforce to Improve Access and Reduce Disparities in Oral Health.” American Journal of Public Health 107, no. S1 (May 2017): S26–27. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.303832.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General.” Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 2000. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2017-10/hck1ocv.%40www.surgeon.fullrpt.pdf.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.