Based on March 31, 2025 data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), over 59.7 million Americans lived in settings or areas designated as dental health professional shortage areas (HPSA).  A dental health HPSA is a population group, geographic unit, or facility where access to dental care is considered subpar because there is a shortfall in the number of dentists serving the area in comparison to the number usually needed serve a population the size of the HPSA's population.  According to 3/31/25 HRSA data, dental care HPSAs in the Mid-Eastern region of the U.S., which encompasses the District of Columbia and five states,  were home to more than 6.9 million residents.  The HRSA estimated that HPSAs in the region would need 1,256 more dentists to eliminate the dental care shortfall designation.  From 3/31/25 HRSA data, here is a quick breakdown of the dental care shortfall in the Mid-Eastern region of the U.S.:

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Mid-Eastern Region

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortfall
DC	11	90,280	22
DE	11	319,152	82
MD	42	1,827,579	234
NJ	38	226,624	36
NY	161	2,779,530	588
PA	148	1,684,495	294
Region	411	6,927,660	1,256
U.S.	7,054	59,718,174	10,143

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a dental care shortfall

(2) Population of designated HPSAs

(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)