Dental health care is not the same across America.
Two recent surveys into the oral health of Americans across the country have exposed the shocking state of the nation’s teeth — with one suggesting that the average adult often goes without brushing their teeth for five days.
A new poll of 2,000 Americans found that more than a third of adults nationwide had not visited the dentist in a year.
Shockingly, it also suggested that many forget to brush their teeth five times a week.
The poll showed that some citizens exhibit astonishing oral care behavior; respondents reported seeing others brush their teeth with washcloths and floss with fishing line.
Despite these poor results, 92 of those surveyed believe that oral health is important.
“While it is promising to see people putting dental health first, as a dentist I encourage greater commitment to maintaining each of the crucial steps of the oral hygiene routine,” said Dr. Marie Jackson, dentist and spokesperson for Listerine. commissioned the study, said told StudyFinds.
However, a separate state-by-state analysis from 2024 found huge differences between parts of the country.
For example, Illinois scored 72 on an independent measure of statewide oral health based on a wide range of influential factors, while Arkansas scored 33.
Research conducted by A team of researchers from George Washington University, among others, looked at 25 characteristics to determine a score.
This included the number of young people who visited a dentist in the past year, the costs of dental treatments, the number of smokers and elderly people without natural teeth.
There were also environmental factors to consider, such as the number of dentists per capita and whether or not the state was adding fluoride to the water supply.
A poll conducted by Listerine found that some Americans use washcloths to brush their teeth – and floss using fishing line
They came to their conclusions based on data from the 2024 Census, the CDC, the American Dental Association, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services and more.
It found that the states where residents are most likely to have good oral health are Illinois, Wisconsin, Idaho, Minnesota and Michigan. The states with the worst rates were Montana, Louisiana, West Virginia, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Tennessee ranked at the bottom overall for having the fewest number of dentists per capita, making it more difficult for citizens to get oral care.
States with the best dental health had the highest number of people satisfied with their mouths, and the fewest number of people taking time off work to deal with dental problems.
Connecticut had the lowest number of adults with dental pain, and California had the highest. The Golden State share of adults experiencing tooth pain was five times greater than the Constitution state.
A recent analysis found that dental care in the US is the most expensive of all the G7 countries
In Wisconsin, which ranks number two, 71 percent of adults visit the dentist in the past year. The study authors wrote that part of that high retention may be because dental care in Wisconsin is covered by Medicaid, which is not common across the country.
In Idaho, which ranked third, the number of dentists per capita is not high. This, the researchers wrote, is emblematic of how personal responsibility is the first line of defense in dental care.
For example, only 10 percent of adolescents in the state drink soda. In lower states, such as West Virginia, roughly four times as many adolescents consumed sugary drinks daily.
“Ben Franklin was right: “an ounce of prevention IS worth a pound of cure.” The very best way to maintain dental health without spending a lot of money is to rely primarily on the way you care for your mouth every day,” said Dr. Burton Edelstein, professor of dentistry at Columbia University.
