2026 dental access report card
Dental access in Iowa
From the U.S. Dental Access Report 2026 by Pete Johnson, founder of dentalist.ai. Source: federal NPPES registry (October 2026) and Census Vintage 2024 estimates. Updated October 21, 2026.
Overall access rank
24th of 51
76.6 dentists per 100k people (national: 80.2)
Pediatric access rank
28th of 51
12.7 pediatric dentists per 100k children (national: 14.9)
2,484
Registered dentists
1,606
Practice addresses
228
Cities and towns
18.5%
Specialist share
Specialty coverage
Dentists in Iowa by primary registered specialty, with the per-100k rate next to the national rate.
| Specialty | Dentists | Per 100k | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric dentistry | 93 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
| Orthodontics | 110 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Oral surgery | 98 | 3 | 2.7 |
| Endodontics | 54 | 1.7 | 2 |
| Periodontics | 50 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Prosthodontics | 54 | 1.7 | 1.1 |
Where Iowa's dentists concentrate
| City | Dentists | Pediatric |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa City | 369 | 18 |
| Des Moines | 163 | 4 |
| Cedar Rapids | 149 | 9 |
| West Des Moines | 117 | 10 |
| Davenport | 103 | 2 |
frequently asked questions
How many dentists are in Iowa?
Iowa has 2,484 NPI-registered dentists practicing at 1,606 addresses in 228 cities and towns, per the federal NPPES registry (October 2026). That is 76.6 dentists per 100,000 residents, against a national rate of 80.2.
How does Iowa rank for dental access?
Iowa ranks 24th of 51 for dentists per capita in the U.S. Dental Access Report 2026. For pediatric access it ranks 28th of 51, with 12.7 pediatric dentists per 100,000 children.
How many pediatric dentists does Iowa have?
Iowa has 93 NPI-registered pediatric dentists, roughly one for every 7,856 children in the state. The national average is one for every 6,705 children.
Counts are individual dentists' NPI registrations from the federal NPPES registry (October 2026), with deactivated registrations removed; they are not licensure data and can include dentists who have retired. Denominators: Census Vintage 2024 estimates. Full methodology in the national report.
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