Map Shows States With Best and Worst Dental Health

A recent report from personal finance website WalletHub examined which U.S. states (and the District of Columbia) have the best, and worst, dental health.

Why It Matters

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 35 percent of U.S. adults went more than a year without a dental exam or cleaning in 2023.

What To Know

To make its assessments, WalletHub analyzed all 50 states and the District of Columbia using about two dozen indicators of dental health. The data included factors such as the percentage of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year, the cost of dental care and the number of dentists per capita.

Each locale was then given a weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score. The scores were used to rank each place in order.

The report found that the top 10 places in the U.S. for dental health were:

Illinois
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Michigan
Connecticut
Idaho
North Dakota
District of Columbia
Massachusetts
Ohio

Newsweek mapped the full results below:

In first, as the state with the best overall dental health, was Illinois.

According to the report, this was in part due to its low percentage of residents who have experienced frequent pain or sleep disruptions in the past year because of oral health issues.

Additionally, the state has a minimal proportion of people reporting their teeth and mouth are in “poor” or “fair” condition.

Several other factors contribute to Illinois’ No. 1 ranking. The report noted that a significant portion of its residents have access to fluoridated water, and the state offers extensive dental benefits through Medicaid.

In second place was Minnesota. The report said the state had the lowest percentage of residents with mouth and teeth in poor or fair condition and ranked third in the nation for the highest percentage of residents receiving fluoridated water through public water systems, which experts say helps prevent tooth decay.

Minnesota also ranked fifth in the nation for the number of dental hygienists per capita. The state had the sixth-lowest dental costs, the report said, meaning residents benefit from high-quality dental care at an affordable price.

Coming in third was Wisconsin, which had the lowest percentage of residents experiencing sleep disturbances due to dental issues. Additionally, it had the smallest share of people whose oral health has led them to reduce social activities or miss work in the past year, according to the report.

Further, the state had the ninth-most dental professionals per capita, and the third-lowest cost for routine cleanings.

What People Are Saying

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, in the report: “Living in a dental health-friendly state can make a world of difference for your mouth and your wallet. 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.

“States that employ a lot of dental health professionals and have low average costs for care are also ideal to live in, giving you more choices at affordable rates.”