Methods: Secondary data analyses were conducted using data from the 2012 Texas State Board of Dental Examiners dentist database and county-based population data collected through the 2010 US Census. Geospatial analyses were conducted using ArcGIS comparing geographic distribution and demographics of dentists and population indicators (e.g., income and poverty levels) by county in Texas.
Results: The current dentist to population ratio in Texas is 45.4 dentists per 100,000 population compared to the US, where the dentist to population ratio is 59.4 dentists per 100,000 persons. While the numbers of dentists has increased, the dentist to population ratio has remained relatively constant, and 40 of 254 counties have no dentists. The average age of dentists in Texas is 55 and older; however, the average age of dentists in counties along the Texas-Mexico border is younger at 35-54 years. In several Texas Panhandle counties, the dentist to population ratio is less than 40 per 100,000 persons with 25% of people living in poverty, and this rate is found even in more urban areas of this region.
Conclusion: Generally, counties that are more rural and with higher poverty rates have fewer dentists. Also, Texas Panhandle counties are experiencing a decrease in the dentist to population ratio which seems to be expanding, exhibiting a type of deserting effect in this region. Supported by: HRSA T12HP19338.