Section 4: Oral Health Workforce, Education, Practice, and Integration Infographic (Text Alternative)

This infographic includes four sections, each describing specific data regarding the oral health care workforce and education. Over the past 20 years, the oral health care workforce, education, and practice have substantially changed to improve access to care and to better integrate oral and overall health care and outcomes.

750,000

The first section is accompanied by an image of a patient sitting in a dental chair. Today’s oral health workforce consists of more than 750,000 professionals, including dentists and allied professionals such as dental therapists, dental hygienists, and community dental health coordinators.

3 in 4 Dentists

This section is accompanied by an image representing four dental professionals, three of whom are the same color and 1 of whom is a different color. Racial and ethnic diversity in the dental profession continues to be a challenge; in 2017 about three in four dentists were White, while Black, Hispanic, and Native American people were underrepresented in the profession.

$292,000

The third section is accompanied by an image of a student in a graduation cap being weighed down by a large bag labeled “Student Debt” which he is carrying on his back. Dentists typically have the highest student debt among major health professionals, averaging about $292,000 in 2019.

60 Million Americans

The last section is accompanied by an image of a rural scene with a barn and farmland. About 60 million Americans live in Health Professions Shortage Areas, where there are too few dental providers to meet projected oral health needs.