North Carolina Medicaid Dental Access by County: NC OSBM LINC Dentist Counts, 1980-2024
North Carolina had 6,241 active dentists in 2024 — one for every 1,771 residents and every 476 Medicaid-eligible residents, according to NC OSBM's LINC data. Access is uneven: Camden, Gates, Hyde and Tyrrell counties had no active dentist, and 25 of 100 counties had fewer than 2 per 10,000 residents.
County figures on this page come from three datasets published by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management on its LINC portal (Log Into North Carolina): Vital Statistics and Health — Active Dentists, Population by Age, Race, Sex (State Demographer) and Social and Human Services — Medicaid Eligibles. Coverage rules are summarized from NC Medicaid Clinical Coverage Policy 4A.
Check your county: dentists vs Medicaid enrollment
Active dentists (NC OSBM LINC, 1980-2024), residents and 65+ residents (NC State Demographer estimates, 2024), Medicaid-eligible residents (LINC, 2024) and HRSA dental shortage designations, for all 100 North Carolina counties.
989
Active dentists, 2024
+65.9% since 2010 (state +49.4%)
8.2
Dentists per 10,000 residents
NC 5.7 · rank 7 of 100
341
Medicaid-eligible residents per dentist
NC 476 · 337,525 eligible in 2024
159
Residents 65+ per dentist
NC 323 · 157,344 residents 65+
Active dentists in Mecklenburg County since 1980
Mecklenburg County has more dentists per Medicaid-eligible resident than North Carolina as a whole (341 per dentist vs 476 statewide). Supply is not the bottleneck here; whether a given office accepts Medicaid is.
HRSA dental shortage designations in the county: 7 (highest score 25 of 26). Median household income $87,005.
| Camden | 0 | 0.0 | — | no dentist | 1 |
| Gates | 0 | 0.0 | — | no dentist | 1 |
| Hyde | 0 | 0.0 | — | no dentist | 2 |
| Tyrrell | 0 | 0.0 | — | no dentist | 1 |
| Caswell | 1 | 0.5 | -50.0% | 6,341 | 3 |
| Bertie | 1 | 0.6 | 0.0% | 6,999 | 3 |
| Hoke | 5 | 0.9 | -28.6% | 3,895 | 2 |
| Anson | 2 | 0.9 | -60.0% | 4,692 | 3 |
| Madison | 2 | 0.9 | -50.0% | 3,107 | 2 |
| Washington | 1 | 1.0 | -50.0% | 4,116 | 1 |
| Jones | 1 | 1.1 | -50.0% | 2,965 | 1 |
| Northampton | 2 | 1.2 | 0.0% | 3,278 | 1 |
| Currituck | 4 | 1.2 | 0.0% | 1,139 | 1 |
| Stokes | 6 | 1.3 | -14.3% | 1,978 | 1 |
| Sampson | 8 | 1.3 | -33.3% | 3,054 | 2 |
| Franklin | 11 | 1.4 | +57.1% | 1,723 | 2 |
| Columbus | 7 | 1.4 | -30.0% | 2,917 | 3 |
| Perquimans | 2 | 1.5 | -33.3% | 1,868 | 1 |
| Montgomery | 4 | 1.5 | +33.3% | 2,167 | 2 |
| Harnett | 25 | 1.7 | +31.6% | 1,596 | 2 |
| Edgecombe | 9 | 1.9 | +28.6% | 2,920 | 3 |
| Martin | 4 | 1.9 | -20.0% | 2,038 | 2 |
| Davidson | 34 | 1.9 | +21.4% | 1,544 | 1 |
| Halifax | 9 | 1.9 | -30.8% | 2,337 | 3 |
| Alexander | 7 | 1.9 | 0.0% | 1,351 | 2 |
| Duplin | 10 | 2.0 | -16.7% | 1,973 | 2 |
| Person | 8 | 2.0 | -11.1% | 1,457 | 2 |
| Yadkin | 8 | 2.1 | +60.0% | 1,295 | 1 |
| Scotland | 7 | 2.1 | -22.2% | 2,357 | 5 |
| Wilkes | 14 | 2.1 | -26.3% | 1,464 | 2 |
| Yancey | 4 | 2.1 | -20.0% | 1,280 | 2 |
| Rutherford | 14 | 2.2 | -12.5% | 1,517 | 2 |
| Randolph | 32 | 2.2 | -17.9% | 1,399 | 1 |
| Rockingham | 21 | 2.3 | -12.5% | 1,385 | 1 |
| McDowell | 10 | 2.3 | +11.1% | 1,528 | 1 |
| Richmond | 10 | 2.4 | -9.1% | 2,158 | 1 |
| Bladen | 7 | 2.4 | -12.5% | 1,936 | 2 |
| Greene | 5 | 2.5 | 0.0% | 1,194 | 4 |
| Granville | 15 | 2.5 | -16.7% | 1,071 | 3 |
| Robeson | 29 | 2.5 | +11.5% | 2,276 | 3 |
| Graham | 2 | 2.5 | 0.0% | 1,613 | 3 |
| Johnston | 62 | 2.5 | +67.6% | 1,016 | 3 |
| Polk | 5 | 2.5 | -28.6% | 900 | 1 |
| Hertford | 5 | 2.6 | -16.7% | 1,761 | 2 |
| Warren | 5 | 2.6 | 0.0% | 1,253 | 1 |
| Caldwell | 22 | 2.7 | +10.0% | 1,180 | 1 |
| Stanly | 18 | 2.7 | +20.0% | 969 | 2 |
| Mitchell | 4 | 2.7 | -20.0% | 1,015 | 3 |
| Chowan | 4 | 2.9 | -20.0% | 1,048 | 1 |
| Jackson | 14 | 3.2 | 0.0% | 780 | 3 |
| Clay | 4 | 3.3 | 0.0% | 762 | 2 |
| Cleveland | 33 | 3.3 | 0.0% | 1,052 | 1 |
| Rowan | 51 | 3.3 | -1.9% | 961 | 2 |
| Wilson | 27 | 3.4 | +17.4% | 1,089 | 2 |
| Burke | 31 | 3.4 | 0.0% | 878 | 2 |
| Alleghany | 4 | 3.5 | +100.0% | 817 | 2 |
| Wayne | 42 | 3.5 | -8.7% | 1,039 | 2 |
| Surry | 26 | 3.6 | -3.7% | 834 | 1 |
| Swain | 5 | 3.6 | 0.0% | 1,272 | 5 |
| Cherokee | 11 | 3.7 | +22.2% | 804 | 4 |
| Chatham | 31 | 3.7 | +82.4% | 373 | 1 |
| Ashe | 10 | 3.8 | +42.9% | 686 | 1 |
| Davie | 17 | 3.8 | +54.5% | 560 | 1 |
| Pamlico | 5 | 3.9 | 0.0% | 681 | 2 |
| Vance | 16 | 3.9 | +45.5% | 1,456 | 1 |
| Macon | 15 | 3.9 | 0.0% | 654 | 5 |
| Nash | 40 | 4.0 | +2.6% | 759 | 1 |
| Beaufort | 18 | 4.1 | 0.0% | 806 | 2 |
| Brunswick | 72 | 4.3 | +105.7% | 462 | 0 |
| Pasquotank | 18 | 4.3 | +38.5% | 649 | 2 |
| Union | 116 | 4.3 | +132.0% | 444 | 1 |
| Lincoln | 42 | 4.4 | +90.9% | 474 | 1 |
| Lenoir | 24 | 4.4 | +9.1% | 1,032 | 2 |
| Transylvania | 15 | 4.4 | +66.7% | 492 | 1 |
| Avery | 8 | 4.5 | +60.0% | 538 | 2 |
| Onslow | 98 | 4.5 | +71.9% | 518 | 1 |
| Alamance | 88 | 4.8 | +37.5% | 652 | 1 |
| Gaston | 117 | 4.8 | +50.0% | 599 | 2 |
| Pender | 33 | 4.8 | +83.3% | 542 | 5 |
| Lee | 33 | 4.8 | +43.5% | 564 | 1 |
| Cabarrus | 121 | 4.9 | +98.4% | 443 | 2 |
| Cumberland | 168 | 4.9 | +44.8% | 805 | 2 |
| Carteret | 37 | 5.2 | -14.0% | 401 | 0 |
| Iredell | 108 | 5.2 | +33.3% | 397 | 2 |
| Dare | 21 | 5.5 | 0.0% | 316 | 0 |
| Forsyth | 218 | 5.5 | +18.5% | 516 | 2 |
| Henderson | 69 | 5.6 | +40.8% | 330 | 1 |
| Haywood | 37 | 5.8 | +32.1% | 488 | 2 |
| Catawba | 102 | 6.1 | +41.7% | 415 | 1 |
| Guilford | 358 | 6.4 | +38.2% | 488 | 3 |
| Craven | 71 | 6.7 | +65.1% | 376 | 3 |
| Durham | 238 | 6.9 | +28.6% | 336 | 3 |
| Watauga | 43 | 7.7 | +53.6% | 145 | 2 |
| Mecklenburg | 989 | 8.2 | +65.9% | 341 | 7 |
| Buncombe | 233 | 8.3 | +44.7% | 250 | 4 |
| Pitt | 160 | 8.8 | +150.0% | 363 | 1 |
| Wake | 1,087 | 8.8 | +75.6% | 192 | 7 |
| New Hanover | 239 | 9.8 | +63.7% | 187 | 3 |
| Moore | 110 | 10.0 | +100.0% | 186 | 0 |
| Orange | 302 | 19.6 | +123.7% | 62 | 1 |
Dentist counts: NC OSBM LINC « Vital Statistics and Health » (Active Dentists). Population: NC OSBM State Demographer estimates, vintage 2024. Medicaid eligibles: LINC « Social and Human Services » (unduplicated count, all ages). Shortage designations: HRSA Dental HPSA file (snapshot 2026-07-30). Access and pricing research — not medical, dental or benefits advice.
What NC Medicaid covers for adults — and what it doesn't
North Carolina is one of the states with a broad adult dental benefit. Clinical Coverage Policy 4A (Dental Services, amended December 15, 2023) sets the rules for every NC Medicaid beneficiary:
| Service | Adults (21 and over) | Under 21 |
|---|---|---|
| Exams and X-rays | Covered | Covered |
| Cleaning (prophylaxis) | Covered, once every six months per provider | Covered |
| Fillings (amalgam and tooth-colored) | Covered | Covered |
| Extractions, simple and surgical | Covered | Covered |
| Root canal, front tooth | Covered | Covered |
| Root canal, premolar or molar | Not covered | Covered |
| Complete dentures; partial dentures (one per arch every eight years, cast-metal partials excluded) | Covered | Covered |
| Tooth-colored composite crown, front tooth | Covered | Covered |
| Prefabricated stainless-steel or resin crowns | Not covered | Covered |
| Lab-made crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays | Not covered | Not covered (EPSDT exceptions possible) |
| Implants | Not covered | Not covered (EPSDT exceptions possible) |
| Cosmetic work | Not covered | Not covered |
The benefit matters more than ever: LINC counts 2,971,562 North Carolinians eligible for Medicaid in 2024, against 1,914,721 in 2010. The December 2023 Medicaid expansion widened who qualifies; it did not change the dental rules above.
Where North Carolina's dentists practice: 44 years of LINC data
The state added dentists far faster than people. LINC counts 2,273 active dentists in 1980, 4,178 in 2010 and 6,241 in 2024 — +49.4% since 2010, while the population grew +15.9% (State Demographer estimates). The growth did not spread evenly:
- Where supply concentrates. Orange (19.6 per 10,000), Moore (10.0 per 10,000), New Hanover (9.8 per 10,000), Wake (8.8 per 10,000), Pitt (8.8 per 10,000) lead the state. Orange County is home to the UNC Adams School of Dentistry and Pitt County to the ECU School of Dental Medicine.
- Where it is missing. Camden, Gates, Hyde and Tyrrell counties recorded no active dentist in 2024, all four in the rural northeast. 25 counties had fewer than 2 dentists per 10,000 residents — less than half the state rate of 5.7.
- Shortage designations follow. 96 of the 100 counties carry at least one active HRSA Dental Health Professional Shortage Area designation (snapshot July 30, 2026), including counties with healthy averages, because designations can target a single low-income population or facility.
Medicaid-eligible residents per dentist, county by county
Dividing each county's 2024 Medicaid eligibles by its active dentists gives a simple pressure gauge: statewide, 476 Medicaid-eligible residents per active dentist. The counties with the heaviest load are Bertie (6,999 per dentist, 1 dentist), Caswell (6,341 per dentist, 1 dentist), Anson (4,692 per dentist, 2 dentists), Washington (4,116 per dentist, 1 dentist), Hoke (3,895 per dentist, 5 dentists).
The ratio is an upper bound on access, not a waiting list: not every dentist takes Medicaid, and not every eligible resident seeks care in a given year. What it shows reliably is where a Medicaid appointment depends on driving to the next county. The seniors' version of the same gauge — residents aged 65 and over per dentist — is 323 statewide; Original Medicare does not cover routine dental, so these residents rely on Medicaid if they qualify, on Medicare Advantage extras, or on cash.
How many North Carolina dentists bill Medicaid
Federal claims data (HHS T-MSIS Medicaid Provider Spending) show 1,678 dentists billed NC Medicaid for at least one published service in 2024, and 1,897 over 2023-2024. Measured against LINC's 6,241 active dentists that is about 27%; against the 7,673 dentists holding an active NPI in North Carolina it is 21.9%. The two denominators count different things — LINC counts dentists actively practicing in the state, the NPI registry counts every dentist with a current identifier — so the true share sits in that range. NC Medicaid paid $322,425,197 for dental services in those published claims.
What NC Medicaid pays for common dental work
The fee schedule caps what NC Medicaid pays a dentist for each service. Official amounts (fee schedule effective April 1, 2026) next to what Medicaid actually paid per claim line in 2024 and the U.S. average:
| Service (CDT code) | NC fee schedule 2026 | NC paid per claim line, 2024 | U.S. paid per claim line, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check-up exam (D0120) | $26.96 | $25.70 | $30.79 |
| Adult cleaning (D1110) | $39.83 | $35.29 | $46.39 |
| Tooth-colored filling, one surface (back tooth) (D2391) | $83.60 | $73.68 | $64.88 |
| Root canal, front tooth (D3310) | $296.52 | $285.04 | $321.08 |
| Simple extraction (D7140) | $66.44 | $60.85 | $73.20 |
| Surgical extraction (D7210) | $114.21 | $97.58 | $117.28 |
| Complete upper denture (D5110) | $611.52 | $487.05 | $487.74 |
A routine adult cleaning pays $39.83 on the schedule and averaged $35.29 per paid claim line in 2024, against $46.39 nationally. Claims data cover children and adults together. For what the same procedures cost cash in North Carolina, see our North Carolina price page.
Finding a dentist who takes NC Medicaid
- Official lookup. NC Medicaid's Find a Doctor page and the NC Medicaid Contact Center (888-245-0179, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
- Dental schools. The UNC Adams School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill and the ECU School of Dental Medicine — with community service learning centers in rural counties — see Medicaid patients under faculty supervision.
- Health centers. Federally funded health centers must discount fees by income; search by address with HRSA's Find a Health Center.
- If the county has no dentist, the county tool above shows the neighboring counties' counts; expect to travel, and ask the practice to confirm it is taking new Medicaid patients before booking.
Frequently asked questions
Does NC Medicaid cover dental for adults?
Does NC Medicaid cover dental implants?
How many dentists are there in North Carolina?
Which North Carolina counties have no dentist?
How many dentists in North Carolina accept Medicaid?
How do I find a dentist that takes NC Medicaid?
Does NC Medicaid cover dentures?
Related guides
- Dental costs in North Carolina, by city
- North Carolina dental insurance fact sheet
- Dental deserts atlas: North Carolina counties
- Medicaid dental coverage in every state
- Dentures cost guide
Methodology note. Active dentists are the LINC variable « Active Dentists » by county of practice (1980-2024; 1985 is not published, and the 2022-2024 values match LINC's separate Health Professionals dataset exactly). Residents and residents 65+ are the sum of the NC State Demographer's age groups (estimates, vintage 2024). Medicaid eligibles are LINC's unduplicated count of people eligible for Medicaid during the year, all ages. Ratios, ranks and changes are computed by Real Dental Costs from those published counts; county sums equal the published state totals for every year used. Shortage designations come from the HRSA Dental HPSA file behind our Dental Deserts Atlas; fees from the NC Medicaid dental fee schedule and HHS T-MSIS Medicaid Provider Spending. Snapshot of September 11, 2026, frozen in our repository with checksums.
Independent dental pricing research — every series carries a named source, and corrections are logged publicly. Not medical advice.