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2026 dental access report card
From the U.S. Dental Access Report 2026 by Pete Johnson, founder of dentalist.ai. Source: federal NPPES registry (May 2026) and Census ACS 2024 estimates.
Overall access rank
39th of 51
73.3 providers per 100k people (national: 88.7)
Pediatric access rank
18th of 51
19.2 pediatric providers per 100k children (national: 17.3)
3,361
Registered providers
2,526
Practice locations
230
Cities and towns
22.7%
Specialist share
NPI-registered specialists in Kentucky, with the per-100k rate next to the national rate.
| Specialty | Providers | Per 100k | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric dentistry | 196 | 4.3 | 3.7 |
| Orthodontics | 205 | 4.5 | 5.4 |
| Oral surgery | 215 | 4.7 | 4.1 |
| Endodontics | 68 | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| Periodontics | 78 | 1.7 | 2.5 |
| Prosthodontics | 33 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| City | Providers | Pediatric |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville | 830 | 36 |
| Lexington | 475 | 37 |
| Bowling Green | 112 | 9 |
| Paducah | 76 | 6 |
| Owensboro | 72 | 4 |
Kentucky has 3,361 NPI-registered dental providers across 2,526 unique practice locations in 230 cities and towns, per the May 2026 federal NPPES registry. That is 73.3 providers per 100,000 residents, against a national rate of 88.7.
Kentucky ranks 39th of 51 for dental providers per capita in the U.S. Dental Access Report 2026. For pediatric access it ranks 18th of 51, with 19.2 pediatric providers per 100,000 children.
Kentucky has 196 NPI-registered pediatric dental providers, roughly one for every 5,205 children in the state. The national average is one for every 5,775 children.
Counts are NPI registrations (organizations and individuals) from the May 2026 NPPES vintage, not licensure data, and can include registrants no longer practicing. Denominators: Census ACS 2024 1-year estimates. Full methodology in the national report.
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