Compare Dentist Availability Across Canadian Cities (2021 Data)

Comparing dentist availability across Canada means measuring how many dentists serve each population, not counting practices. The sources available give figures by province and health region, not by city. Dentists per 100,000 residents is the most useful basis because it corrects for city size. Statistics Canada counted 23,475 dentists in 2021, up 8.7% from 2016, but the supply is uneven across the country.

Why compare dentist availability across cities?

Absolute headcounts favour large places. A metropolitan area will almost always list more dentists than a small town, so raw numbers say little about access. Dividing each count by population gives a ratio that can be compared directly.

Supply is concentrated in dense regions

Statistics Canada (2025) divides the country into 104 health regions. In 2021, 22 of them had more than 60 dentists per 100,000 residents, 55 had between 30 and 60, and 27 had fewer than 30.

High-ratio regions cluster in dense urban areas, mainly southern Ontario, British Columbia and coastal regions. Seven of the 48 Ontario regions and seven of the 18 British Columbia regions are in the top tier. Quebec and Alberta have two each.

Provincial ratios and population share

A study by hellodent, reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025), gives provincial ratios:

The three leading provinces hold 67% of Canada’s dentists but only 57% of its population, according to the same study. That gap shows why provincial averages are not enough: a province’s ratio can hide large differences between its own cities and rural areas.

Method for a city-to-city comparison

Health regions do not match municipal boundaries, so a regional figure may combine a major city with surrounding rural areas. Before comparing two places, confirm which geography each figure covers and use the same unit for both.

How many dentists per capita by province?

Dentists per 100,000 residents is the most direct way to compare availability across provinces, because it adjusts for population size. In a hellodent study reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025-06-24), Ontario has 68.44 dentists per 100,000 residents, the highest figure in the study, followed by British Columbia at 67.91 and Alberta at 62.65. Prince Edward Island has the lowest value, at 32.98.

Supply is concentrated in a few places. According to the same hellodent study, the top three provinces hold 67% of Canada’s dentists but only 57% of its population. A provincial average therefore hides uneven supply, and it does not show how dentists are spread between cities and rural areas.

Statistics Canada (2025-01-29) gives a finer view of regional distribution. In 2021, of 104 health regions, 22 had more than 60 dentists per 100,000 residents, 55 had between 30 and 60, and 27 had fewer than 30. High-ratio regions were concentrated in dense urban areas such as southern Ontario and British Columbia’s coastal zones: 7 of Ontario’s 48 regions and 7 of British Columbia’s 18 regions exceeded 60, against 2 in Quebec and 2 in Alberta.

Cities or regions: where are dentists most concentrated?

Dentist density in Canada varies widely by region. According to Statistics Canada (2025-01-29), Canada had 23,475 dentists in 2021, an 8.7% increase from 2016. Of the country’s 104 health regions, 22 had more than 60 dentists per 100,000 residents in 2021, 55 had between 30 and 60, and 27 had fewer than 30. The high-density regions are concentrated in dense urban areas, mainly southern Ontario, British Columbia and coastal regions. Seven of Ontario’s 48 health regions and 7 of British Columbia’s 18 fall in the top band, while Quebec and Alberta have 2 each.

At the provincial level, a hellodent study reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025-06-24) gives the following dentists per 100,000 residents:

The same study reports that the three leading provinces hold 67% of Canada’s dentists but only 57% of its population.

The official sources consulted do not specify dentist counts for individual cities, so city-level comparisons require local data. To compare a city with the benchmarks above, use the following method:

1. Identify the health region that contains the city.
2. Count the dentists practising in that region.
3. Calculate dentists ÷ residents × 100,000.
4. Compare the result with the regional bands (above 60, 30 to 60, below 30) and the provincial figures.

Rural areas: why is access harder?

Dentist supply in Canada follows population density. In 2021, the country had 23,475 dentists, up 8.7% from 2016. Supply was uneven across Canada’s 104 health regions: 22 regions had more than 60 dentists per 100,000 residents, 55 had between 30 and 60, and 27 had fewer than 30 (Statistics Canada, 2025-01-29). The high-ratio regions are concentrated in dense urban areas, such as southern Ontario, British Columbia and coastal regions. The official sources consulted do not specify how many of the 27 low-ratio regions are rural, so the rural gap should be read as a pattern rather than a precisely measured figure.

The sources show that high-ratio regions are concentrated in dense urban areas. They do not measure travel distances or explain the cause, so the effect on access in rural areas should be checked locally.

Provincial averages hide this variation, but they still show where the pressure is highest. According to a hellodent study reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025-06-24), the ratios were:

The same study found that the top three provinces hold 67% of Canada’s dentists but only 57% of its population. The reference year of the hellodent data is not specified in the source, so these ratios should not be treated as 2021 figures.

To assess access in a specific town:

1. Identify the health region the town belongs to.
2. Compare that region’s ratio with the 30 and 60 per 100,000 thresholds used by Statistics Canada.
3. Compare the result with the provincial figure in the table above.
4. Check the travel time to the nearest clinic, since a favorable regional ratio does not guarantee a nearby practice.

How to check dentist availability near you

Checking dentist availability for a city or neighbourhood takes three steps: read the regional ratio, compare it with other provinces, then test the shortlist locally. Ratios measure dentists per population, not open appointments, so use them to screen places before verifying them directly.

Step 1: Read the regional ratio. Statistics Canada (2025-01-29) reports dentists per 100,000 inhabitants for 104 health regions in 2021. Of these, 22 regions had more than 60 dentists per 100,000 residents, 55 had between 30 and 60, and 27 had fewer than 30. Identify the health region that contains your target city and note which band it falls in.

Step 2: Compare at provincial level. A study by hellodent, reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025-06-24), gives provincial ratios:

The same study reports that the three leading provinces hold 67% of Canada’s dentists but only 57% of its population. This shows that supply is unevenly distributed across provinces. A province-wide average may also hide differences within a province, which the health-region bands can reveal.

Step 3: Test each shortlisted location. Ratios do not show waiting times. For each candidate city or neighbourhood:

• Confirm whether it sits in a high-band or low-band health region.
• Search for general dental clinics in that area and count those accepting new patients.
• Call two or three clinics and ask how long a new-patient exam takes to book.
• Ask every clinic the same questions so the results are comparable.

Does the Canadian dental care plan change the picture?

The official sources consulted do not measure the effect of the Canadian dental care plan on dentist availability, so this section cannot say whether the plan has changed supply in any city. The figures that are available give a baseline against which later changes could be measured. According to Statistics Canada (2025-01-29), Canada had 23,475 dentists in 2021, an increase of 8.7% from 2016.

The supply is unevenly distributed. Of 104 health regions, 22 had more than 60 dentists per 100,000 residents, 55 had between 30 and 60, and 27 had fewer than 30 (2021). Statistics Canada notes that the highest-density regions are concentrated in dense urban areas, such as southern Ontario, British Columbia and coastal regions.

A hellodent study reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025-06-24) shows the same gap at the provincial level, measured in dentists per 100,000 residents:

According to the same study, the three leading provinces hold 67% of Canada’s dentists while having 57% of its population.

To check whether access in a given city has shifted, start with the health region that contains it rather than the province. Note which band the region falls in for 2021. Newer regional data would be needed to see whether it has changed since.

What to know before you move

Dentist availability is best compared as dentists per 100,000 residents, because raw counts favour large cities. Statistics Canada (2025) reports 23,475 dentists in Canada in 2021, up 8.7% from 2016. Supply was not spread evenly in 2021. Of 104 health regions, 22 had more than 60 dentists per 100,000 residents, 55 had between 30 and 60, and 27 had fewer than 30.

High-ratio regions cluster in dense urban areas, particularly southern Ontario, British Columbia and coastal regions (Statistics Canada, 2025). A hellodent study reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025-06-24) gives provincial ratios:

The same study finds the top three provinces hold 67% of Canada’s dentists but only 57% of its population.

Method for comparing cities:

• Calculate the ratio: dentists ÷ residents × 100,000. A city with more dentists can still have a lower ratio if its population is larger.
• Check the health region, not only the province. Regions are administrative units that may not match city boundaries, and the national distribution shows they vary widely in density.
• Note the population share of your target area if you plan to compare several cities in one region, since regional ratios depend on both dentist numbers and residents.

Frequently asked questions

Can I compare dentist availability between specific cities in Canada?

The official sources consulted do not specify dentist counts at city level. The published figures cover provinces and health regions, so the closest comparison uses the region that contains each city.

Why use a ratio instead of the total number of dentists?

Total counts mostly reflect how many people live in a place, so they say little about how easy it is to find a dentist. Dividing by population gives dentists per 100,000 residents, which lets you compare places of different sizes on the same scale.

Which provinces have the highest dentist-to-population ratios?

A hellodent study reported by Benefits and Pensions Monitor (2025) puts Ontario at 68.44 and British Columbia at 67.91 dentists per 100,000 residents, with Prince Edward Island lowest at 32.98. The study does not give a reference year, so treat these figures as a rough guide rather than current provincial averages.

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