2026 dental access report card
Dental access in Louisiana
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
44th of 51
64.5 dentists per 100k people (national: 80.2)
Pediatric access rank
33rd of 51
11.8 pediatric dentists per 100k children (national: 14.9)
2,965
Registered dentists
2,200
Practice addresses
175
Cities and towns
19%
Specialist share
Specialty coverage
Dentists in Louisiana by primary registered specialty, with the per-100k rate next to the national rate.
| Specialty | Dentists | Per 100k | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric dentistry | 126 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| Orthodontics | 169 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Oral surgery | 97 | 2.1 | 2.7 |
| Endodontics | 72 | 1.6 | 2 |
| Periodontics | 61 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| Prosthodontics | 38 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
Where Louisiana's dentists concentrate
| City | Dentists | Pediatric |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 367 | 21 |
| Baton Rouge | 332 | 19 |
| Metairie | 228 | 7 |
| Shreveport | 212 | 8 |
| Lafayette | 173 | 12 |
frequently asked questions
How many dentists are in Louisiana?
Louisiana has 2,965 NPI-registered dentists practicing at 2,200 addresses in 175 cities and towns, per the federal NPPES registry (October 2026). That is 64.5 dentists per 100,000 residents, against a national rate of 80.2.
How does Louisiana rank for dental access?
Louisiana ranks 44th of 51 for dentists per capita in the U.S. Dental Access Report 2026. For pediatric access it ranks 33rd of 51, with 11.8 pediatric dentists per 100,000 children.
How many pediatric dentists does Louisiana have?
Louisiana has 126 NPI-registered pediatric dentists, roughly one for every 8,463 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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