Oral health is critical to overall health, impacting physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. Despite its importance, millions of people in the U.S. lack access to dental care. With the expansion of dental coverage through state Medicaid programs and potential for greater expansions in the future,  a robust and well-distributed oral health workforce is necessary to meet increased community needs and demand. This resource page outlines the current limitations of the oral health workforce and proposes solutions to improve access to care.

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“Communities, especially marginalized communities, should be at the forefront of selecting, designing, and implementing solutions that best meet their specific needs.
– Izzy Litwack, Senior Policy Analyst, Dental Access Project 
A dentist poses in a dentist office with a young patient receiving dental care. The dentist in the background is wearing a mask, gloves, and a dentist uniform. The young patient is lying down on a dentist chair wearing glasses and is smiling with a napkin covering her shirt.
Understanding the Limitations of Our Current Oral Health Workforce
  • Over 58 million people live in areas without enough dental providers, and people of color, Tribal communities, those living in rural areas, and those with low incomes are most affected by provider shortages. 
  • About one-third of dental professionals are expected to retire within the next five years. 
  • Approximately 70% of dentists and 80% of dental hygienists are white, with significant underrepresentation of Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native communities. 
Strategic Approaches to Improving the Oral Health Workforce

Addressing systemic inequities in dentistry requires concerted efforts to dismantle systemic barriers and promote equity and inclusion within the profession. This includes policies to increase the racial diversity of dental professions and also policies to address workplace conditions that help recruit and retain a diverse pool of dental providers along racial, ethnic and gender lines.  

Some examples are:  

  • Authorize dental therapists to provide care in community settings 
  • Utilize Community Health Workers (CHWs) to connect people to providers and newly added benefits 
  • Increase state and federal funding for oral health workforce programs 
  • Advance equity, inclusion, and systems change by implementing targeted recruitment and retention strategies and prioritizing pay equity 

Dental care represents one of the most significant financial burdens of any health care service. Increasing access to timely, preventive care has potential to foster savings of up to $1.1 billion annually.  

While access to insurance and the expansion of Medicaid benefits can impact people’s ability to get the care they need, traditional approaches to improving oral health are inadequate, antiquated, and have failed to meet community need. If the oral health workforce is not effectively designed to meet the demand, access barriers and worsening oral health will only be perpetuated. We must act now to solidify long-term coverage and workforce solutions, or we will find ourselves in the same predicament for years to come.  

Get Involved 
  • Sign the Petition to show your support for Congress acting on comprehensive dental coverage  
  • Share Your Story about your experiences with lack of affordable dental care  

Resources

Community Perspectives on Access, Quality, and Invasiveness of Dental Care

In collaboration with community-based and advocacy organizations, Community Catalyst hosted listening sessions with community members in three states: Colorado, Nebraska and Ohio. Conversations centered around three themes: access to care, experiences with care and invasiveness of care.

Learn more here

Why Does Oral Health Matter?

Dental disease hurts more than our teeth. It’s tied to our overall health. Policy barriers keep many people from getting the care and support they need to have good oral health. But with policy change, we can achieve good oral health for everyone.

Learn more here

Communities Care About Oral Health

When the CareQuest Institute funded grassroots organizations to engage community members on oral health needs, outcomes, and disparities, the message was clear: oral health is health and systems change is needed to ensure oral health equity. Learn more about the impact of access barriers to oral health with the experiences of underserved communities leading the conversation.

Learn more here

National Partnership for Dental Therapy

We believe all communities could benefit from dental therapists. That is why Community Catalyst partnered with the National Indian Health Board, the National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity, and the American Dental Therapy Association, to launch the National Partnership for Dental Therapy. Learn more about how we are working to elevate the visibility and broad, multi-sectorial support for dental therapy as an evidence-based way to improve access to oral health.

Learn more here