2026 dental access report card
Dental access in Kentucky
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
32nd of 51
71.9 dentists per 100k people (national: 80.2)
Pediatric access rank
18th of 51
15.4 pediatric dentists per 100k children (national: 14.9)
3,298
Registered dentists
2,397
Practice addresses
219
Cities and towns
19.1%
Specialist share
Specialty coverage
Dentists in Kentucky by primary registered specialty, with the per-100k rate next to the national rate.
| Specialty | Dentists | Per 100k | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric dentistry | 158 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| Orthodontics | 172 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Oral surgery | 137 | 3 | 2.7 |
| Endodontics | 56 | 1.2 | 2 |
| Periodontics | 79 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Prosthodontics | 28 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
Where Kentucky's dentists concentrate
| City | Dentists | Pediatric |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville | 869 | 31 |
| Lexington | 513 | 32 |
| Bowling Green | 101 | 7 |
| Florence | 80 | 4 |
| Owensboro | 72 | 4 |
frequently asked questions
How many dentists are in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 3,298 NPI-registered dentists practicing at 2,397 addresses in 219 cities and towns, per the federal NPPES registry (October 2026). That is 71.9 dentists per 100,000 residents, against a national rate of 80.2.
How does Kentucky rank for dental access?
Kentucky ranks 32nd of 51 for dentists per capita in the U.S. Dental Access Report 2026. For pediatric access it ranks 18th of 51, with 15.4 pediatric dentists per 100,000 children.
How many pediatric dentists does Kentucky have?
Kentucky has 158 NPI-registered pediatric dentists, roughly one for every 6,492 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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