The Growing Use of Locums Tenens Dentists

A Growing Number of Female Dentists In 1976, only 4.6% of graduating dental students were female, a number that increased to 36.4% in 1996, to 48% in 2015 and in 2020 stood at 51.4%, according to the ADA. Over one-third (34.5%) of all practicing dentists now are female. Medicine also has seen a significant influx of females, and today 35% of active patient care physicians are female, while over 50% of medical students are female. An Emerging Shortage Despite growth in the number of dentists being trained, a shortage of dentists in the U.S. is emerging. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a report projecting a shortage of 15,600 dentists in the U.S. by 2025. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are projected to experience this shortage, the report states. States predicted to have the greatest shortfalls are California at 1,234 too few dentists, Florida, with 1,152 too few, and New York, with 1,024 too few. Spending on dental care suggests that utilization of dental services is on the rise. In 2015, national spending on dental care reached $119.1 billion, up from $97.3 billion in 2007. In 2018, the latest year for which numbers are available, national spending on dental care increased further to $135 billion, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Overall employment of dentists is projected to grow eight percent from 2020 to 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). About 5,000 openings for dentists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force through retirement.

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