Mississippi appears to be the U.S. state with the poorest oral health, ranking the lowest due to dental treatment costs and access to fluoridated water, according to an analysis published on January 29 by personal finance website WalletHub.
Meanwhile, Illinois ranked as the top state for dental health, thanks to fewer residents reporting mouth or tooth pain or sleep disruptions related to oral health over the past year, according to the report.
“Living in a dental health-friendly state can make a world of difference for your mouth and your wallet,” Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in the report.
To identify where Americans have the best oral health, WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 25 key indicators of dental wellness. Indicators included the share of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year, dental treatment costs, and the number of dentists per capita.
Each metric was scored on a 100-point scale, with higher scores reflecting more favorable conditions for dental health. The analysis included categories such as dental habits and care, which examined dentist visits and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among adolescents, as well as oral health, which assessed poor or fair oral condition, tooth loss among older adults, and reduced life satisfaction due to oral issues.
Illinois ranked as the best state for dental health, driven by the lowest percentage of residents reporting frequent mouth pain or sleep problems related to oral health and a small share of people with poor or fair oral conditions overall, according to the report.
Minnesota followed in second place, boasting the lowest share of residents with poor or fair oral health and one of the highest rates of access to fluoridated public water. The state also benefits from a strong dental workforce and relatively low dental treatment costs.
Conversely, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Mississippi ranked among the states with the worst oral health, posting the lowest overall scores.
“While there are plenty of things you can do on your own, such as brushing and flossing regularly, some states feature things like access to fluoridated water, dental health programs in schools and robust benefits through Medicaid,” Lupo added.
