Dental Patients Willing to Travel for Treatment

Dental Patients and How Far They Travel

When we asked dentists how far their average patient travels for treatment, most said about 5-10 miles. However, anecdotes abound of patients who have kept their dentists even after moving hundreds or thousands of miles away. Not surprisingly, rural patients are more likely to travel farther for treatment than do urban or suburban residents.

• “I have both an active local clientele and an international clientele.” (Urban New York prosthodontist)
• “Not enough patients come from far away.” (Suburban New York oral surgeon)
• “Many of our patients travel up to 4 hours by car for their treatment.” (Urban California implantologist)
• “We have a handful of patients who have moved out of state but continue their care at our office when they are in the area.” (Suburban Colorado dentist)
• “We advertise on radio for sedation and complex dental services. People drive well over one hundred miles, or as far out as they receive the radio’s signal.” (Suburban California dentist)
• “We have patients who fly in every year or less from over a thousand miles away. If patients know you’re honest and have their best interest at heart, they will come from anywhere, no matter the distance.” (Urban Minnesota dentist)

Read the complete patient travel distance survey results or post your own comments