Study Reveals The U.S. States With The Best (And Worst) Dental Health
Hawaiians have the best dental health in the country, while Arkansas residents have the worst, according to data
Key Findings:
- New study reveals which states have the best (and worst) dental health in the USA
- Hawaii is named the state with the best dental health, followed by Massachusetts and New Jersey
- Arkansas is the state with the worst dental health, followed by Mississippi and Alabama
While having great dental hygiene is super-important for keeping your smile looking fresh and white, investing in your dental health goes much further than that.
“The health of your mouth can be a barometer for the health of the rest of your body,” say the experts at Doctors Implants, a doctor-owned practice that specializes in full-mouth dental implants.
To discover which states have the best dental health in the USA, Doctors Implants conducted a study which allocated each state a ‘Dental Hygiene Score’.
Using data from the American Dental Association (ADA) and other key sources, Doctors Implants found the percentage of residents with their teeth and mouth in good or very good condition, the percentage of adults who visited the dentist, and the number of dentists per 10,000 people in each state. These were weighed to give a final overall score for each state, by which they were then ranked.
Table 1: The Top 10 States With The Best Dental Health In The USA
| Rank | State | % Of Residents With Good/Very Good Mouth/Teeth Condition | Percentage Of Adults Who Visited The Dentist | Dentists Per 10,000 People | Dental Health Score |
| 1 | Hawaii | 78% | 71.90% | 7.73 | 86.78 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 72% | 73.20% | 8.02 | 85.42 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 77% | 68.30% | 7.78 | 84.73 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 76% | 73.90% | 7.01 | 84.08 |
| 5 | California | 74% | 66.20% | 7.77 | 82.19 |
| 6 | Illinois | 78% | 65.90% | 6.80 | 80.52 |
| 7 | Washington | 73% | 67.80% | 7.10 | 79.98 |
| 8 | Maryland | 75% | 66.70% | 6.79 | 79.34 |
| 9 | Utah | 76% | 71.30% | 5.97 | 79.04 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 79% | 68.40% | 5.84 | 78.69 |
Hawaii
Hawaii was named the state where residents have the best dental health in the country, with an overall Dental Health Score of 86.78. The state scored highly across the board, with the joint second-highest percentage of residents with good or very good condition of their teeth (78%), and the third-highest percentage of residents who visit the dentist (71.90%).
“Hawaii’s growing population of affluent real estate investors may be providing the demand for the improvements we’ve seen in Hawaii’s dental health coverage,” says Doctors Implants.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts was ranked second with an overall score of 85.42. The state actually had the lowest percentage of people with good or very good teeth condition (77%), but had the second highest percentage of residents who visited the dentist (73.20%) and the highest number of dentists per 100,000 people (8.02).
New Jersey
New Jersey came third overall, with a total score of 84.73. The state had the second-highest number of dentists per 10,000 people (7.78) and the fourth-highest percentage of residents with teeth in good or very good condition. The percentage of adults who visited the dentist was slightly lower, at 68.30%.
“New Jersey is one of the USA’s wealthier states, so good dental health and a high number of dentists is not unexpected here,” says Doctors Implants.
Table 2: The Top 10 States With The Worst Dental Health In The USA
| Rank | State | % Of Residents With Good/Very Good Mouth/Teeth Condition | % Of Adults Who Visited The Dentist | Dentists Per 10,000 People | Dental Health Score |
| 1 | Arkansas | 63% | 55.60% | 4.12 | 58.23 |
| 2 | Mississippi | 63% | 57.70% | 4.31 | 59.91 |
| 3 | Alabama | 70% | 58.20% | 4.17 | 63.17 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 64% | 60.40% | 4.78 | 63.43 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 66% | 59.50% | 4.68 | 63.62 |
| 6 | Georgia | 66% | 59.90% | 4.71 | 63.94 |
| 7 | West Virginia | 68% | 56.60% | 4.91 | 64.12 |
| 8 | South Carolina | 65% | 63.10% | 4.64 | 64.69 |
| 9 | Florida | 62% | 61.20% | 5.46 | 65.28 |
| 10 | Missouri | 67% | 61.20% | 4.90 | 65.75 |
Arkansas
Arkansas was the state where residents had the worst dental health in the USA, with an overall score of 58.23. It had the lowest percentage of residents who visited the dentist (55.60%) and the joint second-lowest percentage of residents with good or very good condition teeth (63%). It also had the lowest number of dentists per 10,000 people (4.12).
“Arkansas has had high unemployment rates in the last few years, which affects how many people can afford to visit the dentist, as most people get dental insurance through their jobs,” says Doctors Implants.
Mississippi
Mississippi came second overall, with a total score of 59.91. The state was tied with Arkansas for the second-lowest percentage of people with good or very good condition teeth (63%). It also had the third-lowest percentage of residents who visited the dentist (57.70%) and only 4.31 dentists per 10,000 people.
Alabama
Alabama came third with an overall score of 63.17. The state was actually the only one in the bottom ten to score over 70% for the number of residents with good or very good mouth and teeth condition (70%). However, it had the second-lowest number of dentists per 10,000 residents and a low 58.20% of residents who visited the dentist.
A spokesperson for Doctors Implants commented:
“People tend to think brushing and flossing are only necessary if you want a nice smile, but the truth is, you can’t separate the health of your mouth from the health of the rest of your body. Gum disease, cavities, and even just plaque build-up can lead to inflammation that affects other areas, like the heart.
“And, if that isn’t compelling enough, consider how vital a healthy mouth is for feeling confident in everyday life. Imagine holding back a smile or missing out on conversations because of dental issues! Bad dental health isn’t just a physical problem—it impacts your self-esteem, relationships, and career progression.
“The effort we put into our dental health is worth it because it supports so much more than just our teeth.”
Story credit: (https://doctorsimplants.com/)
About Doctors Implants
Doctors Implants is a doctor-owned practice of board-certified oral surgeons and restorative doctors. Their specialty is full-mouth dental implants that reproduce natural form and function, giving you the smile you want, whether that be a natural smile or a “Hollywood” smile.
Methodology
Doctors Implants analyzed dental health data across U.S. states using three key metrics: oral health condition, dental visit frequency, and dentist availability. The study weighted these factors to calculate an overall Dental Health Score for each state.
Data sources included:
- American Dental Association (ADA) State Dentist Workforce Statistics 2023 [ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce] for dentist numbers
- StatsAmerica 2023 Population Estimates [statsamerica.org/sip/rank_list.aspx?rank_label=pop1] for state populations
- ADA Oral Health and Wellbeing Data [ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/dentist-workforce] for oral health conditions
- America’s Health Rankings [americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/dental] for dental visit data
The analysis weighted factors as follows:
- Oral health condition (40%)
- Dental visit frequency (35%)
- Dentists per 10,000 residents (25%)
Final scores were normalized on a 0-100 scale. For Mississippi’s dental visit data, 2022 figures were used as 2023 data was unavailable.
Note: The full dataset is available upon request.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
