414 - A Survey Examining Factors Influencing American Pediatric Dentists’ Choice of Practice Location in 2024

Access to pediatric dental care varies significantly between urban and rural areas due to workforce distribution. Rural regions face shortages of pediatric dentists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons.1 Pediatric dentists, numbering 7,583 in 2016, are more concentrated in urban areas, though the specific rural-to-urban ratio remains unclear.8

According to CDC, people living in rural America have 8% (children aged ≥2 y) to 10% (adults aged 18–64y) less access to dental services compared with their urban counterparts1. Children in rural areas are 5% less likely to receive preventive dental care than children in urban areas. A 2020 HRSA survey found preventive care was less common in small rural areas (74%) than in urban areas (80%)3. The 2017–2018 National Survey of Children's Health highlighted longer wait times for procedures, fewer fluoride treatments, and poorer overall dental health among rural children.4,5

Dentists’ location choices are influenced by financial incentives and career growth, which are more abundant in urban settings6. Urban areas offer higher salaries, research opportunities, and diverse cultural/educational experiences as well as better public transportation, and greater accessibility to specialized care, while barriers to rural practice include professional isolation, limited infrastructure, spousal employment challenges, and concerns about children's education.7

The specific aim of this project was to determine the factors influencing pediatric dentists’ practice location.

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