Who has the healthiest mouths in the U.S.? According to a new survey, four Midwestern states topped the list: Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
To find the states with the best dental health in the nation, WalletHub compared them based on dental habits and oral health data across 25 metrics using data collected by Dec. 20 of last year.
This data came 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, Free Dental Care, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Association of State & Territorial Dental Directors and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Here’s the full list of top-ranking states, according to WalletHub:
1. Illinois
2. Minnesota
3. Wisconsin
4. Michigan
5. Connecticut
According to the CDC, 35% of adults have reported going over a year without seeing a dentist. By last year, the centers estimated that approximately 57 million Americans lived in an area with a dental health professional shortage and that about 67% of those shortage areas are in rural communities. Additionally, the CDC found that there was a 10% decrease in low income children and adolescents ages 1 to 17 who had a preventative care dentist visit in the past year from 2016 to 2021.
“Living in a dental health-friendly state can make a world of difference for your mouth and your wallet,” said Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst. “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.”
Here are the states ranked lowest in terms of menta health, per WalletHub:
51. Arkansas
50. Mississippi
49. West Virginia
48. Texas
47. Louisiana