National Dentist Distribution by zipcode

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Tooth

Orthodontist
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While browsing the web, I found a website that attempts to give a breakdown on how many dentists and specialists there are in a given zip code. Check it out

http://www.aftconet.com/dentist_stats.asp

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cool website, whats a good ratio for dentist to people?
 
When I entered my hometown zipcode, it showed only 6 general dentists (no specialists) in the area. General Dentist (GP) to Pop. Ratio: 1:6830... that's phenomenon!

I think anything over 1:2000 is really good.
 
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This info from this website bogus so be careful. I checked my hometown and it showed 7 dentists. Within 2 block from my house I can quickly think of 8 practices. Some have more than one doctors; one office even had 6 dentists.
 
Please be skeptical of daurang I don't think he is a real dentist based on his responses.

retired in ten years?
$69 dental software?
 
My friend diagnodent, don't listen to me. Go on your happy path and work until your 70's; I wish you a long and happy working life always. Or are you a dental salesman trying to ripoff these young dentists with your overpriced really complicated $5000 software and $2000 training fee and $500yearly support fee? While you're at it, put them in deeper debt with your $100,000 laser and $100,000 cerec machine they really have little need for!

My first dental software (TDOCS) bought in 2000 for $795 is still in use today without any update yet. I was naive and paid too much back then, because last year I found another one (PerfectByte) for $69. They sent me the actual software with 25 patients limits and I was sold. Meanwhile, TDOCS gets digested by Patterson. Patterson then contacted me and offered 'free' software and data transfer, with only a mandatory fee of $3695 for 2days in office training and 3 years tech support. I said, "Thank you but my $69 program works flawlessly with no training, why do I need a to pay 25X more for your program so complicated I'd need a 2 days office shutdown for training and tech support for another 3 years?!"

FYI, punch in my hometown zip code '95111' and it shows 1:8000 ratio! Go drive around and see for yourself there's a dental office on every block for miles. Better yet, with such a good ratio, go open an office there. It's so competitive some offices even provide complimentary pickup/dropoff service. I grew up there, loved it there, but didn't return there after I graduated.
 
Hey Daurang, why do you want to retire so soon. Such emphasis at retirement at an early age. Dont you like what you do, or is it just a paycheck and means towards retirement? I dont plan on going balls to the wall for 40 years, but I love what I do, and wouldn't mind a day or two a week until Im 60.
 
I think it's pretty accurate - you need to try more than one zip code. I know that my zip code, which ends in 80, doesn't show all the local dentists. A lot are in the next zip code over which ends in 81 (even if they're only a 2 or 3 minute drive further). You have to try multiple zip codes around the area in which you live.
 
I think it's pretty accurate - you need to try more than one zip code. I know that my zip code, which ends in 80, doesn't show all the local dentists. A lot are in the next zip code over which ends in 81 (even if they're only a 2 or 3 minute drive further). You have to try multiple zip codes around the area in which you live.

Good call.
 
OceanDMD,

When you pass a certain financial threshold, you need to stop and enjoy life. You will realize that if you save up another $1M or $5M by working another 30 years, your life will basically stay the same. You will max out at four meals a day and a couple vacations a year no matter how much more money you have. People have to work late because they can't afford retire. 1/3 of retirees in America have no other source of income oher than their social security check so they have to work. The average net worth saving of a baby boomer is a measely $50,000, according to last week's WSJ, so they have to work. All of us dentists should be able to retire comparatively young because our income will allow us to save up and be ahead. I think it's better to take off in my 40's to travel casually and fully experience the world than wait until my 60's and 70's when I have tons of money only to be in a wheel chair or have back problem. Then you pass away, all that money can't be taken with you to the next life but life just passed you by; and Uncle Sam will want another 40% death tax on what you worked so hard for. Maybe I'll be bored after a year and then do volunteer work, but it's nice to have the luxury to control your own life than let life control you. That's why I want to retire early.
 
mine is 1:12,690 wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! I guess that's why they say we have a shortage of dentists
 
This is interesting - I was checking out Redding, CA which has 3 zip codes - the first was 1:1000, second 1:1500, and the third shot up to 1:20,000 (with 2 dentists). I guess that all averages out to a pretty good market. Does anyone know if these stats are where they live or where they practice?
 
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Duarang,

How can you save enough money in ten years as a dentist to retire? There is no possible way unless you get lucky in the stock market/real estate. You need at least 20x your income/year to retire. So, if you make the avg. dental salary of 175k/yr you need 3.5 million. How can you save 3.5 million in ten years? Even if you make double the avg income of 350k (like me not even 5 years out) for 10 yrs which is almost impossible since you did a scratch start you still can't save enough? Tell us financial guru how you do it b/c I'm interested how I can save 3.5million in 10 years.

If you are getting oversea's crowns for $40 like you say then you can't be providing high quality dentistry. I've seen those crowns and they are horrible and don't try and tell me they aren't. A CEREC machine is a good investment. If you have a machine that reduces overhead b/c you don't pay a lab, eliminate the second appt, and increases quality then how is it a bad investment.

Also, everyone please remember AFTCO is a practice sales group. They want to give you the idea that you shouldn't do a start-up b/c of poor demographics. They want you to purchase a practice from them, so I wouldn't trust the data.
 
diagnodent,

Do you really need to save $3.5Mil for retirement? So does that mean the average american who saves up only $50k in a lifetime is gonna be hungry and homeless? When you pass away what happens to that $3.5Mil? Do you take the money to the next life with you? You should be able to save $3.5Mil in 18 years keeping it up at the current rate and just saving away if that's your goal; AND you don't get UNLUCKY in stocks and real estates like me :( . If you are in your early 30's then you should be able to retire in your late 40's or early 50's if that is your wish. I not as ambitous as you but I wish you best of luck.
 
This info from this website bogus so be careful. I checked my hometown and it showed 7 dentists. Within 2 block from my house I can quickly think of 8 practices. Some have more than one doctors; one office even had 6 dentists.

i totally agree with you! It says mine only has 2 GP's, but I can name about 10 of them.
 
Take a look at 10019 West Midtown and 10021 Upper East Side in Manhattan.

Wow.
 
Periodontist to GP Ratio: 1:3.33

Why so many? Are they trying to set world record for gum surgery?
 
Ah the wonderings of supply and demand. So the supply of dentists went up, and now everything costs double. If I had to pay $160 for a cleaning, I'd probably just let my teeth rot

According to the law of supply and demand that I'm familiar with, doubling the supply should result in a reduction of cost by half.

But, with dentists, we will often increase cost to our patients when technology allows us to shorten treatment time. In some ways, we're backwards.
 
According to the law of supply and demand that I'm familiar with, doubling the supply should result in a reduction of cost by half.

But, with dentists, we will often increase cost to our patients when technology allows us to shorten treatment time. In some ways, we're backwards.

For a service:
The supply of dentist increases... there for the demand for new dentist decrease.. but as practicing dentist we receive less patients due to the increase in supply... to combat that we in turn must increase the price of procedures in order to maintain the same profitable living that we have grown accustom to before the supply of dentist increased

For a product:
increase supply = decrease cost

lol just messing around
 
nice site.

I too have heard the 1:2000 + is a good ratio.
 
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