2026 NPPES data General Practice Dentistry NPI 1275633356 DDS
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RALPH HOWELL, DDS

General Practice Dentistry in SUFFOLK, Virginia. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. PlainDoctor publishes the actual CMS NPPES and Medicare records — NPI registration, specialty, practice location, and prescribing data — without a composite score or editorial opinion on top. Every field traces to a federal source.
Prescribing volume
171
Medicare Part D claims · 106 beneficiaries · General Practice Dentistry avg: 82
Industry payments
$1.2K
6 payments · CMS Open Payments (Sunshine Act)

What the federal data shows

RALPH HOWELL, DDS filed 171 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 as a General Practice Dentistry in SUFFOLK, Virginia.

171
Part D claims, 2023
$1.2K
industry payments (Sunshine Act)

Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records (NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments) — no proprietary rating or editorial opinion is applied.

RALPH HOWELL, DDS's Medicare Part D volume vs every U.S. prescriber

Total Medicare Part D claims, 2023 — across all CMS prescribers nationally

171 35th percentile higher than 35% of 1,370,886 prescribers

0–200: 670,926 prescribers (49%). This entry sits in this band. 200–400: 182,923 prescribers (13%). Above this entry. 400–600: 90,619 prescribers (7%). Above this entry. 600–800: 56,224 prescribers (4%). Above this entry. 800–1,000: 40,919 prescribers (3%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,200: 31,827 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,400: 26,224 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,400–1,600: 21,710 prescribers (2%). Above this entry. 1,600–1,800: 19,072 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–2,000: 16,451 prescribers (1%). Above this entry. 2,000–2,200: 213,991 prescribers (16%). Above this entry. This provider 0 2K+ every Part D prescriber (claims/yr), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more prescribers. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File · 2023

What does the federal data show about RALPH HOWELL, DDS?

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 09/25/2006

NPI 1275633356

Primary specialty

General Practice Dentistry

High-volume

121,627 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

171 109% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 82

Specialty distribution in Virginia

How General Practice Dentistry compares to other specialties among Virginia providers

Virginia providers

General Practice Dentistry share within Virginia

1. General Practice Dentistry42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
General Practice Dentistry share within Virginia

Specialty board-certification context

Estimated specialty board-certified rate — General Practice Dentistry (ABMS / AOA reference)

Quality data not reported
Est. board-certified rate
78%
General Practice Dentistry ABMS/AOA estimate

Est. board-certified rate (General Practice Dentistry) — ABMS / AOA estimate

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (General Practice Dentistry) — ABMS / AOA estimate

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.

Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).

RALPH HOWELL, DDS appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a General Practice Dentistry provider holding DDS credentials at 102 WESTERN AVE, SUFFOLK, VA, 23434, with a listed phone of (757) 539-7695. NPI 1275633356 was issued on 09/25/2006. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what HOWELL most recently submitted to CMS rather than a vetted directory listing, which is why patients should always confirm the practice is still at this location before scheduling.

Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 171 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 106 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $2K in drug spend. These figures capture only Medicare Part D — commercial insurance, Medicaid, and cash-pay prescriptions are not included, and any drug-beneficiary cell under 11 is suppressed by CMS for patient privacy.

General Practice Dentistry is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 121,627 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 82 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist — always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.

Practice Address

102 WESTERN AVE
SUFFOLK, VA 23434

Provider Details

NPI 1275633356
Specialty General Practice Dentistry
Credentials DDS
Gender Male
NPI Issued 09/25/2006

Industry payments received (2024) — CMS Open Payments transparency data

The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (part of the Affordable Care Act) requires drug and medical-device manufacturers + group purchasing organizations to publicly report payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals. The data below covers 2024 for RALPH HOWELL, DDS. Source: openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.

Total received

$1.2K

Largest payer

PATTERSON COMPANIES, INC.

Most common payment type

Food and Beverage

Industry payments are not necessarily indicators of bias — they include research funding, consulting fees for evidence-based work, royalties for inventions, food at conferences, and similar items. The disclosure exists for transparency. Read our methodology for how we interpret this data.

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

171
Total Claims
$2K
Total Drug Cost
106
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
183
Total Day Supply
1,992
Brand Drug Cost
$0
Generic Drug Cost
$2K
Antibiotic Claims
110

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
73.0 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
0.94
Gender Split
57% female / 43% male

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

What RALPH HOWELL, DDS prescribes most

Top Medicare Part D drugs by claim count, 2023

claims
Source CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File As of 2023
Drug Claims
Penicillin V Potassium
64
Amoxicillin
18
Clindamycin Hcl
15
Ibuprofen
12
Azithromycin
11

* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.

General Practice Dentistry Overview

How RALPH HOWELL, DDS fits within the General Practice Dentistry landscape nationally.

121,627
General Practice Dentistry Providers in US
56
States with General Practice Dentistry
82
Avg Claims per Provider

RALPH HOWELL, DDS's 171 claims are above the specialty average of 82.

Nearby General Practice Dentistry Providers in Virginia

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Virginia, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as HOWELL.

Compare General Practice Dentistry nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is RALPH HOWELL, DDS's specialty?
RALPH HOWELL, DDS specializes in General Practice Dentistry and practices in SUFFOLK, Virginia. Credentials: DDS.
How much does RALPH HOWELL, DDS prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, RALPH HOWELL, DDS wrote 171 Medicare Part D claims totaling $2K in drug costs for 106 beneficiaries.
Where is RALPH HOWELL, DDS located?
RALPH HOWELL, DDS is located at 102 WESTERN AVE, SUFFOLK, VA, 23434. Phone: (757) 539-7695.
What is RALPH HOWELL, DDS's NPI number?
RALPH HOWELL, DDS's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1275633356, issued on 09/25/2006.
How many General Practice Dentistry providers are there in the US?
There are 121,627 General Practice Dentistry providers across 56 states in the US. The average General Practice Dentistry provider writes 82 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does RALPH HOWELL, DDS prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, RALPH HOWELL, DDS's most frequently prescribed drugs include Penicillin V Potassium, Amoxicillin, Clindamycin Hcl. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does RALPH HOWELL, DDS accept Medicare?
RALPH HOWELL, DDS appears in CMS Medicare data with 171 Part D claims and 106 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify RALPH HOWELL, DDS's credentials?
RALPH HOWELL, DDS's NPI is 1275633356 with credentials DDS. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.

Data Sources

Provider Directory
CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
Specialty Classification
NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
Limitations
Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.

See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.

Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology