Statistics also show that 4% of U.S. dentists have been practicing for 55 years or more
From a Korean perspective, it’s sometimes hard to believe that there are no dentists in the U.S. Even just getting a crown for a cavity easily costs over $2,000 (about 3 million won)—and yet there are no dentists? Even a simple checkup without any treatment costs $100 (about 150,000 won). While purchasing dental insurance—which costs anywhere from several hundred thousand won to over a million won—can ease the financial burden somewhat, even this comes with many restrictions.
However, the reality is that there is a shortage of dentists in remote rural areas. Some analyses suggest that the return on investment may not justify the initial costs of opening a dental practice, and that the small population itself makes it difficult for new practitioners to enter the market. Furthermore, considering that U.S. dental school graduates often carry student loan debt amounting to several hundred million won, practicing in rural areas is even more challenging. In fact, a study (conducted by a team led by Professor Hwajin Elani at Harvard School of Dental Medicine) analyzed the entire country using geographic information to confirm that there is a shortage of dentists in suburban areas of the United States.
According to a recent report by SpotlightPA, a nonprofit media outlet in the Pennsylvania region of the U.S. East Coast, James Mancini (66), a dentist who serves as the dental director at Midville Medical Center in Midville, Pennsylvania, is preparing to retire after a 40-year career as a dentist.
Mancini decided to practice in a rural area to contribute to the local community. He moved here 20 years ago from Pittsburgh, where he had run his own dental practice, driven by a vision to provide better service to patients in rural areas who often had to wait months for dental care and travel long distances to see him.
However, as he nears retirement, Mancini is having difficulty finding a successor for the position of dental director he has held. In an interview with the media, he opened up about his recent visit to the University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry to search for a successor. “(The students) looked at me because they didn’t know where Midville was,” he said. Unlike the East Coast cities of Pennsylvania that we are familiar with, such as Philadelphia, Midville is located on the western edge of the state. Geographically, traveling just 40 km west takes you into Ohio, and it’s over 600 km to Philadelphia.
Even if they were to hire a new dentist, the working conditions are far from easy. Mancini is currently treating 16,000 patients with a staff of two. They perform checkups, cleanings, surgeries, X-rays, and more. In March alone, they treated 1,570 patients. Even based on a simple calculation—assuming three dentists work 20 days—that works out to treating 26 patients per day. Mancini, who lives near Pittsburgh, commutes about 150 km to see patients three times a week.
This reality is creating an even greater crisis regarding access to dental care in rural areas of the United States. This is because, in each rural area, older dentists are preparing to retire, while younger dentists are reluctant to move there. According to 2023 congressional data, only 6% of dental school graduates in Pennsylvania reported plans to work in rural areas. Furthermore, 55% of dentists in rural areas are nearing retirement age. It is only a matter of time before a dentist shortage in rural areas becomes a reality. Media reports indicate that some patients are even giving up on treatment altogether. To proactively address this issue, the University of Pittsburgh is developing a plan to establish regional centers in rural areas and train dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. In essence, this is an effort to encourage people from rural backgrounds to return to their hometowns to practice.
In a 2025 interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, dentist Scott Nicott said he had been practicing in Toma, Wisconsin, since 1973. After graduating from dental school, he opened a practice in his hometown and, after more than 40 years of service, retired—but found it difficult to find a dentist to take over his practice. The media reported that he struggled to find a dentist willing to move to a rural town with a population of 10,000 or fewer. A check of the website revealed that the practice is currently being run by a new, younger team of dental professionals.
The American Dental Association’s Policy Institute has been studying the retirement age of U.S. dentists; as of 2023, the average retirement age for U.S. dentists was found to be 69. Twenty-one percent of dentists retire before age 65, while 20 percent retire after age 75. Dentists considering retirement typically sell their private practices. According to Alan Schiff, a certified public accountant specializing in dentistry, the sale process usually takes about a year. Furthermore, the average retirement age of 69 is four years later than it was in 2001.
Dentists who retire after a lifetime of service to the dental health of their local communities often make the news. Without them, local patients might not have received proper care. Dr. Robert Davis, a pediatric dentist who served in East Liverpool, Ohio, for 34 years, retired and closed his practice on June 30. The news of his retirement was featured in the local media outlet Mahoning Matters. Dr. Robert said, “It has been an honor to care for the smiles of local children for 34 years.”
Two dentists who had operated a dental clinic in East Baltimore for 46 years retired on the same day and closed their practice. According to ABC affiliate WMAR News, dentists Willie Richardson and Charles Shelton, who practiced in East Baltimore, opened their clinic there in 1979 and have been treating patients, primarily from the local Black community, ever since. The two, who were classmates at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, reportedly insisted on seeing patients seven days a week, even arranging weekend on-call shifts.
The 2023 statistics on the length of service of U.S. dentists mentioned earlier reveal a surprising fact: 4% of all respondents had been practicing for 55 years or more. Even if they became dentists at age 25, that means they devoted themselves entirely to patient care until the age of 70. I would like to express my respect for their dedication.
Writer. Hyuntaek Lee
<A former newspaper journalist who worked for 18 years at JoongAng Ilbo>, <and Chosun Ilbo>. She is currently working as a freelance contributor and planning the second act of her life. In addition to journalism, she has worked in public relations and marketing at JTBC Broadcasting and Edelman Global Advisory in the United States.
