2026 dental access report card
Dental access in Tennessee
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
46th of 51
62.6 dentists per 100k people (national: 80.2)
Pediatric access rank
24th of 51
14.2 pediatric dentists per 100k children (national: 14.9)
4,524
Registered dentists
3,623
Practice addresses
237
Cities and towns
19.8%
Specialist share
Specialty coverage
Dentists in Tennessee by primary registered specialty, with the per-100k rate next to the national rate.
| Specialty | Dentists | Per 100k | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric dentistry | 225 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Orthodontics | 245 | 3.4 | 4 |
| Oral surgery | 198 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Endodontics | 105 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Periodontics | 79 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Prosthodontics | 46 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
Where Tennessee's dentists concentrate
| City | Dentists | Pediatric |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 513 | 21 |
| Memphis | 492 | 23 |
| Knoxville | 331 | 16 |
| Chattanooga | 230 | 8 |
| Murfreesboro | 155 | 19 |
frequently asked questions
How many dentists are in Tennessee?
Tennessee has 4,524 NPI-registered dentists practicing at 3,623 addresses in 237 cities and towns, per the federal NPPES registry (October 2026). That is 62.6 dentists per 100,000 residents, against a national rate of 80.2.
How does Tennessee rank for dental access?
Tennessee ranks 46th of 51 for dentists per capita in the U.S. Dental Access Report 2026. For pediatric access it ranks 24th of 51, with 14.2 pediatric dentists per 100,000 children.
How many pediatric dentists does Tennessee have?
Tennessee has 225 NPI-registered pediatric dentists, roughly one for every 7,033 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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