Table 2.
Dental Delivery System Characteristics and MSSA and adult population sample size per characteristic
| Average per SSA |
Number of MSSAs |
Population size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety net dentist supply | |||
| Public safety-net dentist to population ratio (per 5,000) | 0.34 | 443 | 40,084 |
| Private practice dentist supply | |||
| Private practice dentist to population ratio (per 5,000) | 2.86 | 443 | 40,084 |
| Personal characteristics of dentists in private practice | |||
| Percent of dentists who are over age 60 | 14% | 423 | 39,499 |
| Percent of dentists who graduated within past 5 years | 10% | 423 | 39,499 |
| Percent of dentists who are nonwhite | 10% | 422 | 39,488 |
| Percent of dentists who are generalist | 87% | 423 | 39,499 |
| Percent of dentists who are female | 25% | 422 | 39,488 |
| Practice structure and work characteristics of private dental practices | |||
| Average number of dental visits in a week | 39 | 421 | 39,393 |
| Percent of dentists who own or are partner in dental practice | 80% | 422 | 39,452 |
| Percent of dentists who employ a dental hygienist | 45% | 420 | 39,395 |
| Percent of dentists who employ 2 or more dental assistants | 62% | 422 | 39,452 |
| Percent of dentists who have multiple practice locations | 15% | 421 | 39,429 |
| Percent of dentists who report being busy or overworked | 24% | 422 | 39,452 |
| Percent of dentists who report lower than median appointment length (45 min) | 38% | 418 | 39,277 |
| Percent of dentists who report lower than median wait time for an appointment (5 days) | 50% | 414 | 39,048 |
| Financial indicators of private dental practices | |||
| Percent of dentists who accept discounted fees | 52% | 416 | 39,216 |
| Percent of dentists who accept public insurance | 47% | 418 | 39,277 |
| Cultural competency of private dental practices | |||
| Percent of dentists and office staff who speak English only | 26% | 423 | 39,499 |
MSSA: Medical Study Service Area
The MSSA sizes for income and racial/ethnic stratified analysis varied by each characteristic: less than 199% FPL (411–416), 200% FPL or more (416–421), whites (417–422), African Americans (296–298), Asian Americans (327–328), and Latinos (385–390). Similarly, the population size for stratified analysis varied: less than 199% FPL (10,868–11,103), 200% FPL or more (28,339–28,557), whites (24,832–25,025), African Americans (2,432–2,483), Asian Americans (3,815–3,826), and Latinos (6,436–6,610).