The 5 states with the best dental health in America — and the 5 states with the worst

People may hate the dentist, but avoiding it comes with risks.

Over one-third of adults in the U.S. haven’t been to the dentist in more than a year. That may be out of dislike, but it also could be about costs. No matter, putting off regular teeth cleanings and checkups has consequences. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 13.2% of adults over 65 have complete tooth loss, and one in four adults between the ages of 20-64 have untreated cavities.

WalletHub set out to find the states with the best and the worst dental health to better understand the state of tooth hygiene in America.

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

To determine its ranking, WalletHub looked at a series of factors. Some were more obvious, like the share of people who visited the dentist in the past year, dentists per capita, and average dental treatment costs. It also looked at more specific ones, like the share of adult smokers, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among teenagers, and recorded work absences due to dental conditions.

Continue reading to see which states have the best — and the worst — dental health.