The Growing Use of Locums Tenens Dentists
A Maldistribution of Dentists There is a longstanding maldistribution of dentists in the U.S., just as there is a longstanding maldistribution of physicians. This has led to dental shortages in rural and inner-city communities, as well as shortages in certain population groups, such those served by Indian Health Service facilities or correctional facilities. As of 2020, there were 6,486 dental care health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) in the United States and its territories, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). These areas cover a population of 59,941,090, and only 29.28% of their needs are met. Two-thirds (66%) of dental HPSAs are in rural areas, the remaining 34% are in non-rural areas. HRSA considers a population that falls below a minimum standard of one dental provider per 5,000 people to be underserved (or below one dental provider per 4,000 people in areas determined to have a particularly high need for dental services).
According to HRSA, the nation needs 10,716 more dental practitioners to remove these HSPA designations.
California leads the nation with 473 dental care HPSAs, requiring 247 practitioners to remove these designations. Missouri is second with 314 dental care HPSAs, requiring 373 practitioners. Texas, Alaska, and Florida follow with 302, 298, and 256 dental care HPSAs, respectively, requiring 431, 35, and 1,320 practitioners.
THE GROWING ROLE OF FQHCS IN DENTAL CARE Often, HPSAs correspond to areas where Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are playing a vital role in dental care. FQHCs provide primary and dental care to traditionally underserved populations at low to no cost. They now provide care to over 28 million people per year in close to 9,000 different sites of service. These patients include over 6.8 million dental patients, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). Over 80% of community health centers now provide on-site dental services, an increase of 30% since 2010.
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