Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between dentists' demographic changes and their uneven geographical distribution.
Methods: Secondary analysis of nationwide government surveys, to assess trends in the geographical distribution of dentists by gender and age from 1996 to 2014 in Japan.
Results: The Gini-coefficient for the number of dentists per population from 47 prefectures decreased from 0.084 in 1996 to 0.069 in 2014. The coefficients for female (0.124-0.144) were higher than for male dentists (0.058-0.081). Coefficients for dentists aged 60 and older were lower than those for dentists younger than 40 in 2014 (male: 0.060 vs. 0.112; female: 0.107 vs. 0.169).
Conclusion: The geographical maldistribution of dentists in Japan has improved. Demographic changes among dentists, including the increasing number of female dentists, could moderate this improvement.
Keywords: Aging; Geographic locations; Japan; Population Dynamics; Public policy.
Copyright© 2019 Dennis Barber Ltd.