84.6%
of records are in Bakersfield
Bakersfield leads both the count and the recorded rate. The remaining communities contain 69 records combined, showing how strongly the location census centers on the county seat.
Kern County · provider records and access indicators
Kern County dentists, compared community by community
Bakersfield accounts for more than four in five provider records in the eight tracked communities. McFarland has one record per roughly 14,000 residents, and Maricopa has no matching record.
Key findings
What stands out in Kern County
61.2%
of the county population is represented
The eight-community denominator covers about three-fifths of Kern County's population estimate. The report should not be read as a full county workforce rate.
40
specialist taxonomy records
Orthodontics accounts for more than half of the specialist records. Pediatric dentistry and prosthodontics each have two records; oral surgery has one.
- NPPES snapshot
- September 15, 2026
- Population basis
- January 1, 2026
- Communities tracked
- 8
- Method
- Practice-location addresses
Where records are located
Provider records are concentrated unevenly
The bars compare active NPI-1 records per 10,000 residents. A higher registry rate does not establish shorter waits, broader insurance participation, or more available appointments.
Population scope
Who is included in the population rate?
The eight-community denominator covers about three-fifths of Kern County's population estimate. The report should not be read as a full county workforce rate.
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
- 567,628
- County estimate
- 927,328
- Outside the denominator
- 359,700
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 accounts for more than half of the specialist records. Pediatric dentistry and prosthodontics each have two records; oral surgery has one.
These categories come from provider-selected NPPES taxonomies. They are not a count of specialists accepting patients.
Pediatric dentistry2
Orthodontics22
Oral surgery1
Periodontics5
Endodontics8
Prosthodontics2
Federal shortage context
18
dental HPSA designations in Kern County
- Geographic areas
- 1
- Population groups
- 9
- Facilities
- 8
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 Kern County compare?
Kern County ranks 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yolo County | 159 | 8.3 | 84.6% |
| Fresno County | 712 | 8.1 | 84.7% |
| Kern County | 447 | 7.9 | 61.2% |
| San Joaquin County | 498 | 7.3 | 83.2% |
| Colusa County | 8 | 6.6 | 55.3% |
Community comparison
How do Kern 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.
Arvin
Incorporated city · Population 19,795
- NPI-1 records
- 5
- Directory practices
- 1
Bakersfield
Incorporated city · Population 422,853
- NPI-1 records
- 378
- Directory practices
- 142
Delano
Incorporated city · Population 52,384
- NPI-1 records
- 42
- Directory practices
- 7
Maricopa
Incorporated city · Population 1,015
- NPI-1 records
- 0
- Directory practices
- 0
McFarland
Incorporated city · Population 14,334
- NPI-1 records
- 1
- Directory practices
- 0
Shafter
Incorporated city · Population 24,545
- NPI-1 records
- 7
- Directory practices
- 1
Taft
Incorporated city · Population 6,896
- NPI-1 records
- 4
- Directory practices
- 0
Wasco
Incorporated city · Population 25,806
- NPI-1 records
- 10
- Directory practices
- 2
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 8 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 Kern County
Practice profiles include locations, contact details, services, and other sourced information where available.
Questions about the report
How to read the Kern County figures
How many dentist records are in Kern County?
Kern County has 447 active NPI-1 dental-provider records across the 8 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 8 communities: 567,628 people, or 61.2% of the county estimate.
How many dental practices does the directory cover in Kern County?
The directory currently has 153 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.