California, Alaska and Missouri are the three states with the highest number of dental professional shortage areas, with 1,231 shortage areas combined.
Here are five key statistics about the workforce and shortage areas in these states, using the latest data from the Health Resources & Services Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Dental Association:
California
Number of shortage areas: 567
Number of dentists: 30,201
Number of dental hygienists: 22,940
Number of dental assistants: 54,580
Net dentist migration 2019-2022: 1.3%
Source: Inside the states with the most dental shortage areas / Becker’s Dental