Choosing a Location for an Oral Surgery, Endodontic or Periodontic Practice
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Choosing a location for an oral surgery, endodontic or periodontic practice
Oral surgeons, endodontists and periodontists rely heavily on referrals from other dentists. That changes how you choose a location. The question is less "how many people live here" and more "how many general dentists are close enough to refer to me, and how many specialists already take their referrals."
How many referral-based specialty practices are there?
Dentagraphics' research team has verified these active practices in the US:
| Specialty | Verified practices | Residents per practice | General practices per specialty practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral and maxillofacial surgery | 4,659 | about 73,200 | about 19 |
| Endodontics | 3,314 | about 102,900 | about 27 |
| Periodontics | 2,591 | about 131,600 | about 34 |
| General dentistry (for comparison) | 88,428 | about 3,860 |
Source: Dentagraphics verified practice counts, October 2026; population from Census ACS.
The last column is the useful one: it is roughly how many general practices each specialty office has to draw referrals from, on average. For oral surgery practices by state, see dental specialists per capita by state.
What to measure around a location
1. General practices within a referral distance
Count the general dental practices within a reasonable drive of the site, often a wider area than you would use for a general practice, because patients will travel further for a specialist. This is your referral base.
2. Specialists already serving those dentists
Count the practices in your specialty within the same area. Divide the general practices by that count and compare it with the national figures above. A market with many general practices and few specialists in your field is the opportunity you are looking for.
3. Which general dentists already refer elsewhere
Some general practices belong to groups with their own specialists, and some send most cases to one long-standing relationship. Ask around before you assume every nearby office is an open referral source.
4. Population and age
Population still matters. Older populations need more periodontal care, implants and extractions. Endodontic demand follows the general patient base closely. Look at age and growth around the site.
5. Income and insurance
Implants and complex periodontal work are often out of pocket, so income shapes demand for those services. Check median household income and the share of higher-income households nearby.
6. Location for referrers, not just patients
Visibility matters less for a referral practice than ease of access: parking, a central location relative to your referring offices, and a short trip from the dentists you expect to work with.
Frequently asked questions
How many general dentists does an oral surgeon need to be viable? Nationally there are about 19 general practices for every oral surgery practice, about 27 per endodontic practice and about 34 per periodontic practice. Use those as a reference point, then look at the specialists already in your area.
Should a specialist open near other specialists? Some specialists cluster in medical or dental buildings that referring dentists already know. Being close to referrers matters more than being close to other specialists.
Where can I see general and specialty practices around an address? A Dentagraphics membership shows verified general and specialty practices around any address or drawn area, so you can measure your referral base directly.
How Dentagraphics helps
- Free plan: state and county demographics and competition.
- Start/Buy membership ($149 per month): unlimited address and area searches, showing verified general and specialty practices around any site.
- Single-Site Study ($695) or Area Analysis ($745): a demographer studies the referral base and competition for your specialty and writes the analysis.
Our competition data covers 118,330 US dental practices verified by hand. We do not broker practices and hold no stake in any location.
Sizing up a referral base for a specialty practice? See a free sample report, or create a free account to see general and specialty practice counts for any county today.