Where in the US is there NOT a saturation of dentists?

[Locutus of Borg]

Hi all,

I've heard that California is beyond the point of saturation with regards to dentists. Several posters on this forum have voiced frustration about not being able to find work in Californian cities for many months after graduation. As a dental student, I'm concerned about my future job prospects. Could SDNers with familiarity/experience with the US dental market answer the following questions please?

Is California only saturated at the cities (e.g. LA) or is it also the case for rural areas?

What states are not saturated?

Are there any cities not saturated in the US?

Many thanks to all who respond.

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[aforgottenshirt]

I recently learned that there's a shortage of dentists in Maine. Other than that I don't really know. I would guess there are generally enough dentists in big cities, though. hope that helps

 

[aphistis]

Any community greater than, say, 15 miles or so from a major urban area is very unlikely to be saturated.

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

You can contact state dental association of the state you are interested in practicing in to get this information. Some states give the info free while others charge you for it. Washington State has this info on their website for easier access. Others do to.

 

[MALOKINMARTIN]

I recently learned that there's a shortage of dentists in Maine. Other than that I don't really know. I would guess there are generally enough dentists in big cities, though. hope that helps

X2 Folks come down here from Maine all the time trying to recruit. Sounds like a good deal for a year or two. Not for me, but the offers seem pretty good for first year out.

Other than vegas, a good rule of thumb is to look anywhere people don't vacation for sunshine.

 

[informatique]

You would probably get a more informative answer if you post this in the 'Practice Acquisition' section of dentaltown since the majority of the members there are dentists who are currently in private practice and you can do a search on prior posts on the market in California.

 

[UCSFAlumni]

It is a long-documented truism: rural areas are underserved. It's true for all sectors of healthcare. Cities are just more fun to live in. Another issue is that rural areas, although having a ready base of patients in need, are unlikely to grow very fast. In urban areas there is the potential to keep growing a practice. Whether a dentist wants to keep growing his practice is a matter of personal financial ambition. That is why there also is a pressure from rural dentists migrating to the city after awhile.

 

[NewGrassRevival]

It is a long-documented truism: rural areas are underserved. It's true for all sectors of healthcare. Cities are just more fun to live in. Another issue is that rural areas, although having a ready base of patients in need, are unlikely to grow very fast. In urban areas there is the potential to keep growing a practice. Whether a dentist wants to keep growing his practice is a matter of personal financial ambition. That is why there also is a pressure from rural dentists migrating to the city after awhile.

Yessir. The balance you have to understand is the nature between practice where you want and practice where you're going to get the most business. Cousin of mine moved to Charleston. Granted, he's got a great life and Charleston is a wonderful place to live (I'm very envious), but the decision to start a practice or join a pre-existing practice in a metro versus rural area is sort of the 'what kind of life-style, home-living' do you want. Understand wanting to live in the metro area, especially if you're in your 20s or early 30s, but you're going to have more competition in any peopled area.