The dentist workforce

As of 2020, there are 201,117 professionally active dentists in the U.S. There are 61.04 dentists per 100,000 U.S. population. Ratios vary by state.

Source: Supply of Dentists in the U.S.: 2001-2020 (XLSX).

No. It is the ADA’s view that a simple dentist-to-patient ratio cannot take into account the differing economic environments from region to region, state to state, or urban to rural.

For further explanation, see: Is the Number of Medicaid Providers Really that Important? (JADA).

Among the 201,117 dentists working in dentistry as of 2020, 34.5% are female.

Source: Supply of Dentists in the U.S.: 2001-2020 (XLSX).

As of 2020, about one in five professionally active dentists (21.2%) reported that their practice, research, or administration area is an ADA-recognized specialty.

Source: Supply of Dentists in the U.S.: 2001-2020 (XLSX).

Among the 201,117 dentists working in dentistry as of 2020, 17.0% are under age 35, 24.0% are ages 35-44, 21.6% are ages 45-54, 21.1% are ages 55-64, and 16.3% are age 65 and older.

Source: Supply of Dentists in the U.S.: 2001-2020 (XLSX).

As of 2020, 70.2% of U.S. dentists are White, 18.0% are Asian, 5.9% are Hispanic, 3.8% are Black, and 2.2% are other race/unknown.

Source: Racial and Ethnic Mix of the Dentist Workforce in the U.S. (PDF) (HPI Infographic).

In 2020, the average age of retirement among U.S. dentists was 68.2, close to 68.1 in 2010.

Source: Health Policy Institute analysis of ADA masterfile.

Source: Projected Supply of Dentists in the United States, 2020-2040 (PDF) (HPI Research Brief).