Posted by: Adam McCann

Many people dislike visiting their dentist, especially if they haven’t kept up with their brushing and flossing. Some even have dental anxiety and phobia. But there are other people who wish they could go yet can’t afford it. According to the CDC, 36% of adults have gone over a year without seeing a dentist. The costs of frequent dental checks are worth it, though. A checkup costs $85-$100 on average while a filling can go for $230-$300 and a crown typically sets you back over $1,100. Prevention is cheaper than treatment.

But brushing, flossing and getting an annual checkup aren’t the only things that impact dental health. Where you live can have an effect, too. For example, certain areas of the U.S. have a higher density of dental professionals. And one of the biggest locational factors is the presence of fluoridated water, which can help prevent tooth decay. It’s so important, in fact, that the CDC projects that by 2020 nearly 80% of public water will have this benefit.

In order to determine which places have the healthiest teeth and gums in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key indicators of dental wellness. Our data set ranges from share of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year to dental treatment costs to share of adults with low life satisfaction due to oral condition. Read on for our findings, additional insight from dental experts and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/31498/geochart-dental.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://bit.ly/2EygMQV>

 

States with the Best & Worst Dental Health

Overall Rank (1=Best)	State	Total Score	‘Dental Habits & Care’ Rank	‘Oral Health’ Rank
1	Minnesota	79.13	1	3
2	Wisconsin	76.30	2	6
3	Connecticut	75.33	7	2
4	Illinois	74.11	20	1
5	North Dakota	73.33	3	8
6	District of Columbia	71.45	14	7
7	Michigan	70.95	5	11
8	Massachusetts	69.77	4	13
9	South Dakota	65.74	11	14
10	Idaho	65.08	25	12
11	Rhode Island	65.07	9	17
12	Indiana	64.57	13	15
13	Iowa	64.57	10	16
14	Kansas	64.07	12	19
15	Hawaii	63.55	36	5
16	Ohio	63.07	34	9
17	Nebraska	63.05	16	21
18	New Jersey	62.89	45	4
19	Delaware	62.51	17	20
20	Virginia	61.73	6	29
21	Oregon	60.84	23	23
22	Georgia	59.99	26	18
23	Maryland	59.68	24	25
24	New Hampshire	59.51	15	30
24	Washington	59.51	46	10
26	New York	58.90	19	27
27	Colorado	58.25	8	38
28	Utah	55.98	18	37
29	Pennsylvania	55.12	32	26
30	Arizona	54.99	35	22
31	North Carolina	54.61	27	32
32	Missouri	53.85	39	24
33	Vermont	52.39	29	34
34	New Mexico	52.11	31	33
35	Nevada	50.39	42	28
36	Kentucky	50.10	28	41
37	Wyoming	48.64	38	36
38	Tennessee	47.84	40	39
39	Alaska	46.89	22	46
40	Oklahoma	46.81	50	31
41	Maine	46.79	49	35
42	Texas	45.76	21	47
43	South Carolina	44.87	48	40
44	Florida	44.28	37	42
45	California	43.04	33	45
46	Louisiana	41.07	44	43
47	Montana	37.64	43	48
48	West Virginia	36.80	30	51
49	Alabama	36.28	51	44
50	Arkansas	35.51	41	50
51	Mississippi	34.01	47	49

 

Ask the Experts

To help you brush up on the importance and benefits of good dental care, we asked a panel of experts in health and family studies to weigh in. Click on the panelists’ profiles below to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What tips do you have for a person who wants to maintain dental health without breaking the bank?
2. Beyond brushing and flossing, what are the most important habits and behaviors to teach children to ensure they have good dental hygiene?
3. Should cities add fluoride to drinking water to improve dental health? What are the pros and cons?
4. Should school sealant programs be expanded more aggressively, especially in low-income areas, in order to better prevent tooth decay in the school-aged population?
5. How can dental health care become more affordable?
6. Should dental coverage be included with standard health insurance or covered by Medicaid?

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• Joan M. Pellegrini Ph.D., R.D.H. – Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Dentistry
• Pamela Rettig RDH, MS – Associate Clinical Professor Dental Hygiene, Indiana University School of Dentistry
• Meg Atwood RDH, MPS – Professor, SUNY Orange
• Amy Funk Chair, West Virginia University
• Marji Harmer-Beem R.D.H., M.S. – Director of Dental Hygiene and Associate Professor at the University of New England
• Lynn Russell Associate Professor & Chair, Dental Hygiene, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Methodology

In order to determine the places with the best dental health in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, Dental Habits & Health and Oral Health.

We examined those dimensions using 25 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for dental health.

We then determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Dental Habits & Care – Total Points: 50

• Share of Adolescents Who Visited a Dentist in the Past Year: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Share of Adults Who Visited a Dentist in the Past Year: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Dental Treatment Costs: Double Weight (~5.56 Points)Note: “Dental Treatment” includes cleaning, crowns, root canals and tooth extraction.
• Reduced Dentist Visits Due to Costs: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population who didn’t visit the dentist more frequently due to costs (among those without a visit in the past 12 months).
• Dentists per Capita: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Dental Professionals per Capita: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of dental hygienists, laboratory technicians and assistants per capita.
• Share of Population Living in Dental HPSAs (Health Professional Shortage Areas): Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Dentists Supply-Demand Ratio by 2025: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Adolescents: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Share of Adult Smokers: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Share of People Who Receive Fluoridated Water Through PWSs (Public Water Systems): Full Weight (~2.78 Points)
• Presence of State Oral Health Plan: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)Note: This is a binary metric that considers the presence or absence of state oral health plans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “A state oral health plan is a roadmap for accomplishing the goals and objectives that have been developed in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, including the state oral health coalition, and members from the public health, dental and medical communities. A comprehensive state oral health plan should be used to direct skilled personnel and funding decisions to reduce the prevalence of oral disease.”
• Presence of School-Based Dental Sealant Programs: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)Note: This is a binary metric that considers the presence or absence of school-based dental sealant programs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “School-based sealant programs provide pit and fissure sealants to children in a school setting. These programs generally target vulnerable populations that may be at greater risk for developing decay and less likely to receive preventive care.”
• Medicaid Dental Benefits for Adults: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)Note: This metric measures the number of benefits, if any, provided to adults in the state through Medicaid. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “States have flexibility to determine what dental benefits are provided to adult Medicaid enrollees. While most states provide at least emergency dental services for adults, less than half of the states currently provide comprehensive dental care. There are no minimum requirements for adult dental coverage.”
• Presence of State Dental Periodicity Schedule: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)Note: This is a binary metric that considers the presence or absence of state dental periodicity schedules. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment (EPSDT) services are required services under the Medicaid program for most individuals under age 21. EPSDT … includes periodic screening, vision, dental, and hearing services and other necessary health services. Schedules specifying the content and periodicity of these services are to be established by each state after consultation with recognized medical organizations involved in child health care (in the case of screening, vision and hearing services) and dental organizations (in the case of dental services).”
• Status of Older Adult Basic Screening Survey: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)Note: This metric measures the status of a state’s Older Adult Basic Screening Survey (BSS) administration — more specifically, whether the state has completed (and how long ago) or is planning an Older Adult BSS. According to Oral Health America, a BSS “a surveillance of the oral health conditions of seniors in community and long-term-care settings of older adults.”
• Oral Health Knowledge Index: Full Weight (~2.78 Points)

Oral Health – Total Points: 50

• Poor or Fair Oral Condition: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults whose mouths and teeth are in poor or fair condition.
• Share of Elderly Population with No Natural Teeth: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: “Elderly Population” includes the population aged 65 and older.
• Pain Due to Oral Condition: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults who have experienced pain in the past year due to the condition of their mouths and teeth.
• Dry Mouth Due to Oral Condition: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults who have experienced dry mouths in the past year due to the condition of their mouths and teeth.
• Sleeping Problems Due to Oral Condition: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults who have experienced problems sleeping in the past year due to the condition of their mouths and teeth.
• Reduced Life Satisfaction Due to Oral Condition: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of adults whose lives in general are less satisfying due to the condition of their mouths and teeth.
• Reduced Social Participation Due to Oral Condition: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population who have experienced reduced social participation in the past year due to the condition of their mouths and teeth.
• Work Absence Due to Oral Condition: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)Note: This metric measures the percentage of the population who have taken days off from work in the past year due to the condition of their mouths and teeth.

Videos for News Use:

• YouTube (for web embedding National)
• Raw files (for editing into clips)

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Healthy Grid, American Dental Association, Health Resources & Services Administration, United Health Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Oral Health America.

Image: oatautta / Shutterstock.com

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