By Aijaz Alam
How many dentists are there in the US?
There were 205,088 professionally active dentists in the US in 2025, per the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute, which counts them from the ADA masterfile. That is 60.0 dentists per 100,000 people, up from 163,376 (57.3 per 100,000) in 2001. Women are 39.4% of dentists, up from 16.0% in 2001.
- 205,088Professionally active dentists in the USADA Health Policy Institute, 2025
- 60.0Dentists per 100,000 peopleADA HPI, 2025; 57.3 in 2001
- 135,665Dental practice establishmentsCensus County Business Patterns 2023, cited by ADA HPI
- 1,057,600People employed in offices of dentistsBLS, Sep 2026, preliminary; all staff, not only dentists
- 39.4%Share of dentists who are womenADA HPI, 2025; 16.0% in 2001
The numbers
The full breakdown
US dentists, key counts (2025 unless stated)
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Professionally active dentists | 205,088 |
| Dentists per 100,000 people | 60.0 |
| Share who are women | 39.4% |
| Share whose practice area is an ADA-recognized specialty | 21.2% |
| Dental practice establishments (2023) | 135,665 |
Professionally active means licensed, not retired, living in the 50 states or DC, with a primary occupation in private practice, teaching, the armed forces, other federal services, state or local government, a hospital, residency or a dental organization. The establishments count is from the U.S. Census Bureau's County Business Patterns for 2023, as cited on the ADA's dental practice research page.
US dentists by practice area, 2025
| Practice area | Dentists |
|---|---|
| General practice | 161,733 |
| Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics | 10,844 |
| Pediatric dentistry | 9,521 |
| Oral and maxillofacial surgery | 7,482 |
| Endodontics | 5,738 |
| Periodontics | 5,480 |
| Prosthodontics | 3,568 |
A dentist with certificates in two areas is counted in both, so across all 13 practice areas in the ADA file the total (about 206,000) is more than 205,088. Smaller specialties (public health, pathology, radiology, anesthesiology, oral medicine, orofacial pain) have under 1,000 dentists each.
US dentists by age, 2025
| Age group | Share of dentists |
|---|---|
| Under 35 | 17.4% |
| 35-44 | 26.3% |
| 45-54 | 22.5% |
| 55-64 | 18.6% |
| 65 and older | 15.2% |
Ages are estimated from dental school graduation year where the ADA masterfile has no birth year.
The 10 states with the most dentists, 2025
| State | Dentists | Per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| California | 30,647 | 77.9 |
| Texas | 16,761 | 52.9 |
| New York | 14,286 | 71.4 |
| Florida | 12,635 | 53.9 |
| Illinois | 8,511 | 66.9 |
| New Jersey | 7,385 | 77.3 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,007 | 53.7 |
| North Carolina | 6,557 | 58.6 |
| Michigan | 5,883 | 58.1 |
| Massachusetts | 5,849 | 81.8 |
Dentists are placed by business address where known. Rates use Census population estimates as published in the ADA file.
Most and fewest dentists per 100,000 people, by state, 2025
| State | Per 100,000 people | Dentists |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 100.9 | 700 |
| Massachusetts | 81.8 | 5,849 |
| Hawaii | 80.4 | 1,152 |
| California | 77.9 | 30,647 |
| Alaska | 77.9 | 574 |
| South Carolina | 45.0 | 2,509 |
| Delaware | 44.9 | 476 |
| Mississippi | 43.5 | 1,285 |
| Arkansas | 40.8 | 1,270 |
| Alabama | 40.6 | 2,109 |
Top five and bottom five of the 50 states and DC. The US rate is 60.0.
Dentist jobs and dental office employment, BLS
| Measure | Number | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist jobs (all employers and self-employed) | 161,400 | 2025 |
| Projected dentist jobs | 170,400 | 2035 |
| People employed in offices of dentists | 1,048,400 | Sep 2024 |
| People employed in offices of dentists | 1,049,100 | Sep 2025 |
| People employed in offices of dentists | 1,057,600 | Sep 2026 (preliminary) |
Dentist jobs are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025 is the base year of its 2025-35 projections; its employer breakdown lists 12% of dentists as self-employed). Offices of dentists employment is the Current Employment Statistics series 'All employees, offices of dentists', seasonally adjusted: every employee of the offices, not only dentists.
Over time
Professionally active US dentists, every year since 2001
| Year | Dentists | Per 100,000 people | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 163,376 | 57.3 | 16.0% |
| 2002 | 165,657 | 57.6 | 17.0% |
| 2003 | 167,524 | 57.7 | 17.9% |
| 2004 | 169,756 | 58.0 | 18.9% |
| 2005 | 171,575 | 58.1 | 19.9% |
| 2006 | 172,629 | 57.9 | 20.6% |
| 2007 | 176,116 | 58.5 | 21.7% |
| 2008 | 178,384 | 58.7 | 22.3% |
| 2009 | 181,370 | 59.1 | 23.1% |
| 2010 | 183,192 | 59.2 | 23.7% |
| 2011 | 186,083 | 59.7 | 24.7% |
| 2012 | 188,866 | 60.1 | 25.9% |
| 2013 | 191,376 | 60.4 | 26.7% |
| 2014 | 192,263 | 60.2 | 27.4% |
| 2015 | 195,755 | 60.8 | 28.3% |
| 2016 | 196,465 | 60.6 | 29.1% |
| 2017 | 198,513 | 60.8 | 30.4% |
| 2018 | 199,482 | 60.7 | 31.8% |
| 2019 | 200,417 | 60.7 | 32.9% |
| 2020 | 201,115 | 60.7 | 34.0% |
| 2021 | 201,923 | 60.8 | 35.2% |
| 2022 | 202,535 | 60.6 | 36.7% |
| 2023 | 202,303 | 60.1 | 37.7% |
| 2024 | 202,400 | 59.5 | 38.5% |
| 2025 | 205,088 | 60.0 | 39.4% |
From the ADA HPI file 'Supply of Dentists in the U.S.: 2001-2025'. The ADA says 2023-2025 values should be read with caution because of changes in how the masterfile is maintained.
Why sources differ
Same question, different answers
| Number | When | Who measured | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 205,088 | 2025 | ADA Health Policy Institute | Licensed, non-retired dentists in active roles, counted from the ADA masterfile, including faculty, residents and the armed forces. |
| 161,400 | 2025 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook | Jobs held by dentists; the BLS employer breakdown lists 12% as self-employed. |
| 135,665 | 2023 | Census County Business Patterns, cited by the ADA | Dental practice establishments: locations, not people. |
| 1,057,600 | Sep 2026 | BLS Current Employment Statistics | All employees of offices of dentists, not only dentists; preliminary. |
The ADA and the Bureau of Labor Statistics give different dentist figures because they measure different things. The ADA counts people: every dentist in its masterfile who is licensed, not retired, living in the 50 states or DC and whose primary occupation is dentistry, whether in private practice, teaching, government, a hospital, the armed forces or a residency. That gives 205,088 for 2025. The BLS reports jobs held by dentists, about 161,400 in 2025, the base year of its employment projections. The gap is about 44,000, and neither publisher explains it, so do not treat one figure as a correction of the other: quote each with its own label. The BLS figure of about 1.06 million is not a dentist count at all: it is all employees of offices of dentists, so it includes hygienists, assistants and other staff. The 135,665 establishments, a 2023 Census count cited by the ADA, are business locations, not people. For the number of dentists, quote the ADA figure and the year.
What it means
How to use these numbers
The US has about 205,000 working dentists, and the number has grown a little faster than the population: 60.0 per 100,000 people in 2025, against 57.3 in 2001. Growth has slowed since 2019, and the ADA flags its 2023 to 2025 figures as provisional.
The bigger change is who the dentists are. Women made up 16.0% in 2001 and 39.4% in 2025, and the share under 45 has risen since the mid-2010s, from 38.7% in 2015 to 43.8% in 2025. About four in five work in general practice.
Where you practise matters more than the national average. Massachusetts, Hawaii and California have about 78 to 82 dentists per 100,000 people, while Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi have fewer than 44. A new practice in a low-ratio state faces less local competition per patient, while one in a crowded market has to work harder on reviews, search visibility and new-patient offers.
If you need a staffing figure, use the BLS count of people employed in dental offices, about 1.06 million, not the dentist count.
Method and sources
How it was measured
Method
- Publisher
- American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute: 'Supply of Dentists in the U.S.: 2001-2025' and the Dentist Workforce page
- Sample
- Not a sample. A count of every dentist in the ADA masterfile, a database of all practising and non-practising US dentists, updated by methods that include reconciliation with state licensure databases, death records and ADA surveys.
- Definition
- Professionally active: licensed, not retired, living in the 50 states or DC, with a primary occupation in dentistry. Excludes US territories and the armed forces overseas.
- Released
- 2025 data, published in 2026 (the file carries a 2026 copyright and uses masterfile archives to mid-2026)
- Checked at source
- 31 October 2026, in the ADA HPI xlsx and on ada.org; BLS figures on the OOH Dentists page (modified 27 Aug 2026) and series CES6562120001
- Next release
- The ADA updates the supply file yearly; expect 2026 data in 2027
- Last changed
- 30 Oct 2026
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Sources
- Health Policy Institute research and data, American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute Industry body
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics Official data
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FAQ
More questions people ask
How many female dentists are there in the US?
Women were 39.4% of the 205,088 professionally active dentists in 2025, roughly 81,000 dentists. In 2001 the share was 16.0%.
How many pediatric dentists are there in the US?
9,521 dentists held a pediatric dentistry certificate in 2025, up from 4,213 in 2001. It is the fastest-growing large specialty in the ADA data.
Which state has the most dentists?
California, with 30,647 in 2025, followed by Texas (16,761) and New York (14,286). Per person, the District of Columbia leads with 100.9 per 100,000 people, and Massachusetts leads the states with 81.8.
What is the racial make-up of US dentists?
As of 2024, 67.0% of US dentists were White, 20.4% Asian, 6.1% Hispanic and 3.9% Black, per the ADA Health Policy Institute.
Every number on this page was checked at its original source (American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute, US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Free to cite with a link to this page.