In short, Dentist Density is our estimate of the forces of supply and demand within any zip code’s dentistry market. Some areas have higher dental services supply and some have lower – and knowing an area’s “score” can help both dentists and consumers make smarter, more economically efficient choices.
How We Calculate Dentist Density
- We begin with tallying the dentist population in the United States (total number of dentists we counted in the US) and then dividing that by the total population of US Citizens.
- This gives us a national average for Dentists per US Citizen, the basis for our score.
- Then we count the total number of dentists in a zip code and divide that by the zip code’s population.
- This gives us that zip code’s dentist density which we can compare against the national average.
Uses for Dentist Density
The Dentist Density score provides value to two populations – dentists and consumers.
Dentists, or soon-to-be-dentists, may be curious about quantity or volume of competition in a given zip code. They may even be hunting for zip codes that are currently under-served by dentists. The Dental Density score enables them to assess parts of cities that could be good locations for a new practice.
Consumers too can take useful action based on a zip code’s dentist density score. If you’re moving into a zip code that has a low dentist density it indicates that you will need to start your dentist hunt as soon as possible. If you’re in an area with high density of dentists you may not need to rush to schedule that first dental appointment. Further, if you’re in an area of high supply you are better positioned to negotiate on price.
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