As a board-certified pediatric dentist, I regularly see the impact that dental workforce shortages have on Medicaid patients across Texas. Every day, systemic barriers prevent timely access to essential dental care, especially for children in our most vulnerable communities. This isn’t a looming threat — it’s an immediate crisis.
As of the beginning of 2025, Texas ranked fifth in the U.S. for the number of designated dental health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) — with 116 of Texas’s 254 counties receiving the designation. These are communities that do not have enough dentists to accommodate the basic oral health care needs of their residents.
Too often, patients across the state wait weeks — sometimes up to a month — for appointments. What starts as a minor dental issue can turn into a painful and expensive emergency — because there are just not enough providers to meet demand.
Source: GUEST VIEW: Strengthen the Texas dental workforce and improve Medicaid access / OA online
It is not uncommon for a lot of my patients to drive 3 to 4 hours to see me. There are no other dentist in between that are able to treat these patients.