The Dental Workforce Shortage

 

A shortage in the dental workforce remains a significant barrier to care for our members and millions nationwide. This growing concern for our plans and providers presents a serious challenge to our mission to help people get care, stay well, and build healthy communities. Factors such as an aging population, increased awareness of dental health, and expanding insurance coverage are all driving demand for more dentists and dental hygienists.

 
 

Key challenges facing the dental workforce1

  • Aging workforce: More than 33% of U.S. dentists are over 55 and approaching retirement, which will further reduce the number of practicing professionals in the coming years.
  • Turnover and burnout: Many dentists are leaving the profession due to high stress levels and burnout, impacting the stability of the workforce.
  • Geographic maldistribution: Dentist distribution varies widely between urban and rural areas, leading to significant access gaps for rural residents.
  • Shortage of supporting staff: A deficit of qualified dental assistants, hygienists, and administrative personnel impairs the efficiency and capacity of dental practices to meet patient needs.
 
 
 

These workforce challenges have direct consequences for access to care, particularly among vulnerable populations. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), as of 2024, nearly 57 million Americans lived in regions experiencing a shortage of dental health professionals, with approximately 67% of these regions located in rural areas.2 Addressing this gap requires more than 12,500 additional practitioners.2

This shortage is especially concerning given that many of our most vulnerable members are disproportionately affected by oral health disparities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented that such disparities persist across all age groups and are influenced by variables including sex, poverty, race, educational attainment, and tobacco use.3 For example, from 2016 to 2021, there was about a 10% decrease in the percentage of low-income children and adolescents (ages 1 – 17) who had a past-year dental visit for preventive care.4

Thorough identification and analysis of determinants — such as insurance coverage, health literacy, and language barriers — that impact access to and utilization of dental care are essential for informing strategies to reduce oral health disparities.

 
 

Our response

Because oral health plays an important role in overall physical health, we treat it as a core function rather than an extra service. Through outreach and incentives, we help improve the health outcomes of our members:

  • Through our Smile Starter Program, we incentivize physicians to apply topical fluoride varnish at well-child visits and to aid in the establishment of dental homes for our members.
  • We contract with mobile providers to bring dental care to members in the communities we service.
  • We offer enhanced fee schedules to providers treating our special needs population in the Southeast region.
  • Through our shared savings programs, we promote preventive treatment and help reduce the need for invasive treatment.
  • We initiate texting campaigns to reach noncompliant members.
  • We promote dental health in our pregnant members by offering provider incentives for administration of preventive care.
  • We promote dental-focused community events by offering member incentives for attendance.
 
 
 
  1. AMN Healthcare, “The Growing Dentist Shortage: Challenges, Trends, and Recruitment Strategies,” March 25, 2025, https://www.amnhealthcare.com/amn-insights/physician/blog/the-growing-dentist-shortage-challenges-trends-and-recruitment-strategies/, accessed June 1, 2026.
  2. HRSA Data Warehouse, “Health Workforce Data, Tools, and Dashboards,” U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas, accessed June 1, 2026.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Health Disparities in Oral Health,” May 15, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/health-equity/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/oral_health_disparities/index.htm, accessed June 1, 2026.
  4. Healthy People 2030 Objectives, “Increase the proportion of low-income youth who have a preventive dental visit — OH-09,” U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/oral-conditions/increase-proportion-low-income-youth-who-have-preventive-dental-visit-oh-09, accessed June 1, 2026.
 
 

“It calls upon us never to be indifferent toward despair. It commands us never to turn away from helplessness. It directs us never to ignore or to spurn those who suffer untended in a land that is bursting with abundance.”

        —President Lyndon B. Johnson, upon signing Medicaid into law, July 30, 1965