According to the latest online Health Resources & Services Administration statistics, Texas ranks behind California, Arkansas, Missouri, and Florida as the states with the most dental health professional shortage areas (DHPSAs). Texas currently has 265 areas designated as such.
The HRSA identifies regions, populations, or facilities with insufficient dental care providers in the country. Regions with more than 5,000 residents per dentist are considered to have a shortage. A ratio of 1:4,000 may be used in areas with unusually high needs. These designations help prioritize allocating resources and support to areas most needing dental health services.
Impacts 2 million residents
In the agency’s December 2024 report (below), these shortage areas impact approximately 2 million Texas residents, with only 28.99% of the state’s dental care needs met. To address this gap, an estimated 368 additional dental practitioners are required.
The Texas Oral Health Coalition reports that the shortage is particularly pronounced in Texas’s border counties. A study indicates that 79.6% of these counties are designated dental HPSAs, compared to 52.5% of non-border counties. The Texas Oral Health Coalition merged with the Texas Health Institute at the start of 2025.
Increasing Medicaid fees can attract more dentists
This affects dental Medicaid. We need to entice more dentists to the state to address this shortage. Financial strains on dental practices exacerbate this problem due to rising operational costs and stagnant Medicaid reimbursement rates, leading to fewer providers accepting Medicaid patients.
Efforts to enhance Medicaid dental benefits and streamline provider participation are essential to improving oral health outcomes for Texans, especially in underserved regions.