Staffing Issues

Three states have recently taken action to expand dental care by introducing and passing legislation to change how services are performed. 

The Wisconsin legislature has passed a bill authorizing the practice of dental auxiliaries in the state.

There were 10,921 orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics dentists in the U.S. in 2021.

The amount of endodontists in the U.S. has increased 41 percent from 2001 to 2021.

The number of oral and maxillofacial surgery dentists in the U.S. has increased nearly 17 percent from 2001-21.

The amount of general practice dentists in the U.S. has increased more than 20 percent from 2001 to 2021.

The number of dental anesthesiologists in the U.S. has increased from zero in 2018 to 97 in 2021, according to recent data from the American Dental Association.

The number of U.S. orofacial pain specialists has increased from zero in 2019 to 25 in 2021, according to recent data from the American Dental Association.

Female dentists tend to be younger than male dentists, with 21.5 percent of women being over the age of 55 compared to 45.2 percent of male dentists.

The dental workforce is making strides in adding women to the industry, seeing a nearly 20 percent increase in women over 20 years.