Background: Dental practitioners such as dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, oral health therapists and dental prosthetists/dental technicians provide important primary health care services to rural populations. The present study was conducted to determine factors responsible for unequal distribution of dental professional. Materials & Methods: The present study included randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies, meta- analysis and interrupted time series. Results: Out of 115 studies, 35 were Pubmed, 55 were Pubmed central and 25 were Medline. The difference was significant (P- 0.05). Studies from 1980- 2000 revealed 6% increase in dentists, 2000- 2010 showed 14.8% increase while 2010- 2015 showed 21.2% increase in dentists. The difference was significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: The most important influences on rural dental practitioner workforce recruitment and retention were a combination of financial reimbursement and personal reasons.