Application of a population-based workforce planning model to map dental workforce distribution is Missouri

Unmet dental needs of large segments of the population continue to be a public health challenge for most states. Shortage and maldistribution of dental professionals are major impediments for meeting this challenge. States' efforts in dental workforce planning have been sporadic; lack of appropriate data is often cited as the reason. In this paper we describe the use of data from various sources in developing and applying a population-based planning model to map dental workforce distribution in Missouri.

The model was based on the premise that everyone needs at least one dental visit annually. Upward adjustments were made to that number based on various sociodemographic and environmental factors and co-morbidities. Based on demographic and morbidity data, service needs indices were developed to determine the total number of dental visits required annually for any given population. Productivity indices were developed in terms of the number of dental visits attended annually by different types and combinations of dental personnel. These indices were combined to determine workforce needs.

The model was applied to determine the number of dental professionals needed in each county. State license renewal data were used to determine the number of dental professionals practicing in each county. The differences were plotted to create separate maps for distribution of dentists and dental hygienists. To approximate the current dental visit rate in the US, similar maps were created using the differences between 66% of the numbers projected by the model and the current numbers of dental professionals in each county.