December 31, 2022, reports available from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) put the number of Americans residing in areas designated as dental health HPSAs (health professional shortage areas) at nearly 69.8 million.  A dental health HPSA is a population group, geographic area, or facility where residents have inadequate access to basic dental care because too few dentists serve the area relative to the population of the HPSA.

Home to 45.6% of the U.S. population who live in dental care shortage areas, the following are the ten states with the most people living in dental care shortage areas per December 31, 2022, HRSA data:

Ten States with the Most People Living in Dental Care Shortage Areas

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
FL	276	5,996,488	1,305
NC	204	3,728,767	668
NY	135	3,176,011	659
TX	320	3,157,537	475
AZ	249	2,984,483	485
IL	247	2,818,438	503
WA	194	2,719,838	344
CA	529	2,557,394	413
MD	62	2,379,610	348
LA	171	2,265,236	282
Top 10	2,387	31,783,802	5,482
U.S.	7,313	69,766,605	11,909
% of U.S.	32.6%	45.6%	46.0%

(1) Designated Geographic, Population Group, and Facility HPSAs with a dental care shortage

(2) Population of designated HPSAs

(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 12/31/22 (HRSA)