67.6%
of records are in Chico
Chico accounts for more than two-thirds of the records shown. Oroville's smaller population produces a higher rate, while Gridley has the lowest nonzero rate.
Butte County · provider records and access indicators
Butte County dentists, compared community by community
Chico contains most of the provider records in this five-community view, but Oroville has the highest population-adjusted rate. Biggs has no matching practice-location record in the snapshot.
Key findings
What stands out in Butte County
71.2%
of the county population is represented
The five tracked communities represent about seven in ten county residents. The rate does not account for people living elsewhere in Butte County.
15
specialist taxonomy records
Orthodontics is the most common specialist taxonomy in the county data. No pediatric-dentistry or prosthodontics record appears in the tracked communities.
- NPPES snapshot
- September 15, 2026
- Population basis
- January 1, 2026
- Communities tracked
- 5
- Method
- Practice-location addresses
Population scope
Who is included in the population rate?
The five tracked communities represent about seven in ten county residents. The rate does not account for people living elsewhere in Butte County.
The numerator and denominator cover the same named communities. Using the full county population with this partial location count would understate the rate.
- Included population
- 148,712
- County estimate
- 208,941
- Outside the denominator
- 60,229
What this rate cannot establish
The calculation does not measure appointment capacity, patient travel, office hours, insurance participation, or dentists who serve county residents from another city.
Specialty record
Which dental specialties appear?
Orthodontics is the most common specialist taxonomy in the county data. No pediatric-dentistry or prosthodontics record appears in the tracked communities.
These categories come from provider-selected NPPES taxonomies. They are not a count of specialists accepting patients.
Pediatric dentistry0
Orthodontics7
Oral surgery2
Periodontics3
Endodontics3
Prosthodontics0
Federal shortage context
8
dental HPSA designations in Butte County
- Geographic areas
- 1
- Population groups
- 1
- Facilities
- 6
HRSA shortage designations use federal criteria and can apply to an area, a population group, or a facility. They complement the city-level NPI count but do not use the same denominator.
Review the HRSA source ↗Regional context
How does Butte County compare?
Butte County ranks 3 of 18 current county reports by combined provider-record rate.
This is context, not a quality ranking. Each county rate covers only the named communities shown in its report, and population coverage varies.
| County report | Records | Per 10k | Population covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tehama County | 41 | 17.8 | 35.6% |
| Placer County | 415 | 13.0 | 73.4% |
| Butte County | 176 | 11.8 | 71.2% |
| Sacramento County | 1,206 | 11.8 | 63.0% |
| Shasta County | 131 | 11.3 | 63.5% |
Community comparison
How do Butte County communities compare?
Counts use active individual NPI records with a dental taxonomy and a matching California practice-location city. Directory practices are shown separately for navigation.
Biggs
Incorporated city · Population 1,970
- NPI-1 records
- 0
- Directory practices
- 0
Chico
Incorporated city · Population 108,113
- NPI-1 records
- 119
- Directory practices
- 32
Gridley
Incorporated city · Population 7,384
- NPI-1 records
- 5
- Directory practices
- 0
Oroville
Incorporated city · Population 20,664
- NPI-1 records
- 35
- Directory practices
- 8
Paradise
Incorporated city · Population 10,581
- NPI-1 records
- 17
- Directory practices
- 0
Method
How were the dentist counts calculated?
- 01
Query individual records
Use CMS NPPES NPI-1 records with a California practice location.
- 02
Keep dental taxonomies
Retain active records whose taxonomy code begins with 1223.
- 03
Assign communities
Match each practice-location city to one of the 5 places in this report.
- 04
Calculate rates
Divide each record count by that community's published population.
- 05
Separate practices
Show directory office profiles as a distinct navigation count.
Primary sources
Data, dates, and definitions
- 1CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) ↗
Provider and taxonomy snapshot collected September 15, 2026.
- 2California Department of Finance, E-1 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties and the State with Annual Percent Change — January 1, 2025 and 2026 ↗
January 1, 2026 city and county estimates; 2020 Census populations for census-designated places.
- 3HRSA Dental Health HPSA County and County Equivalent Listing ↗
Dental shortage designations dated September 1, 2026.
Find an office
Browse dental practices in Butte County
Practice profiles include locations, contact details, services, and other sourced information where available.
Questions about the report
How to read the Butte County figures
How many dentist records are in Butte County?
Butte County has 176 active NPI-1 dental-provider records across the 5 communities in this report. This is a count of individual federal registry records, not dental offices or available appointments.
Why does this report use named communities instead of the full county?
The provider records are assigned to practice-location cities. The rate therefore uses the combined population of those same 5 communities: 148,712 people, or 71.2% of the county estimate.
How many dental practices does the directory cover in Butte County?
The directory currently has 40 published practice profiles across the communities in this report. Practice profiles and NPI-1 records are separate measures because one office may include several dentists.
Does an NPI record mean a dentist is accepting patients?
No. An active NPI record supports provider and practice-location analysis. It does not establish appointment availability, hours, prices, insurance participation, or whether the dentist still works at that address.
What does a dental HPSA designation show?
A federal dental Health Professional Shortage Area designation identifies a geographic area, population group, or facility that meets HRSA shortage criteria. It is a separate measure from the provider-record counts on this page.