53.2%
of records are in Visalia
Visalia is the largest center by count and rate. The other seven communities together contribute 140 records, so the county pattern is concentrated but not singular.
Tulare County · provider records and access indicators
Tulare County dentists, compared community by community
Visalia contains just over half of the provider records and has the highest rate in the eight-community comparison. Exeter has the lowest rate, and every tracked community has at least one record.
Key findings
What stands out in Tulare County
72.1%
of the county population is represented
The tracked communities represent about 72% of the county estimate. Rural areas and places outside the report remain outside the rate.
26
specialist taxonomy records
Four specialist groups appear among 26 records, led by orthodontics. No pediatric-dentistry or prosthodontics record matches the tracked communities.
- 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 tracked communities represent about 72% of the county estimate. Rural areas and places outside the report remain outside the 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
- 353,028
- County estimate
- 489,610
- Outside the denominator
- 136,582
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?
Four specialist groups appear among 26 records, led by orthodontics. No pediatric-dentistry or prosthodontics record matches the tracked communities.
These categories come from provider-selected NPPES taxonomies. They are not a count of specialists accepting patients.
Pediatric dentistry0
Orthodontics17
Oral surgery2
Periodontics3
Endodontics4
Prosthodontics0
Federal shortage context
14
dental HPSA designations in Tulare County
- Geographic areas
- 0
- Population groups
- 2
- Facilities
- 12
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 Tulare County compare?
Tulare County ranks 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanislaus County | 406 | 9.1 | 80.4% |
| Kings County | 111 | 9.0 | 79.8% |
| Tulare County | 299 | 8.5 | 72.1% |
| Solano County | 238 | 8.3 | 63.1% |
| Yolo County | 159 | 8.3 | 84.6% |
Community comparison
How do Tulare 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.
Dinuba
Incorporated city · Population 26,566
- NPI-1 records
- 20
- Directory practices
- 4
Exeter
Incorporated city · Population 10,287
- NPI-1 records
- 4
- Directory practices
- 0
Farmersville
Incorporated city · Population 10,338
- NPI-1 records
- 5
- Directory practices
- 1
Lindsay
Incorporated city · Population 12,712
- NPI-1 records
- 11
- Directory practices
- 2
Porterville
Incorporated city · Population 63,719
- NPI-1 records
- 44
- Directory practices
- 7
Tulare
Incorporated city · Population 72,936
- NPI-1 records
- 50
- Directory practices
- 10
Visalia
Incorporated city · Population 148,302
- NPI-1 records
- 159
- Directory practices
- 57
Woodlake
Incorporated city · Population 8,168
- NPI-1 records
- 6
- Directory practices
- 1
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 Tulare County
Practice profiles include locations, contact details, services, and other sourced information where available.
Questions about the report
How to read the Tulare County figures
How many dentist records are in Tulare County?
Tulare County has 299 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: 353,028 people, or 72.1% of the county estimate.
How many dental practices does the directory cover in Tulare County?
The directory currently has 82 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.