Number of dental practitioners per 100,000 people

IBISWorld forecasts the number of dental practitioners per 100,000 people to climb by 1.6% over 2026, to reach 92.2. According to the latest data from the Dental Board, the number of registered dental practitioners has strengthened over the 12 months through the March quarter of 2025 (Most recent data). While not all registered dental practitioners are actively employed as dental practitioners, growth in the number of registered dental practitioners strongly correlates with an expanded number of employed dental practitioners. The number of employed dental practitioners has outpaced population growth over the decade through the end of 2025-26, causing a strengthening in the number of dental practitioners per 100,000 people.

The latest data from the Department of Health reveals that the dental labour force is dominated by general dentists (75.8%), with oral health therapists (12.1%), dental hygienists (5.4%), dental prosthetists (4.7%) and dental therapists (2.1%) making up the remainder. Dental practitioners are primarily located in major cities, while regional areas are often found wanting in terms of dental practitioners. Findings from the Australian Dental Association (ADA) state that Australians living in rural and remote areas have comparatively poor oral health compared with their urban counterparts due to a lack of access to dental care.

Increases in training capacity at Australian universities for dentistry degrees, coupled with the continued intake of migrant dentists, have contributed to solid growth in the number of new dental practitioners joining the workforce over the past five years. IBISWorld forecasts the number of dental practitioners per 100,000 people to swell at a compound annual rate of 0.8% over the five years through 2026.