California is the state with the highest number of active dentists and the most dental shortage areas, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The U.S. is in need of 11,742 dental practitioners to relieve shortage areas, according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The average annual salaries in the lowest ranking states for dental health range between $33,560 and $38,370 for dental assistants and between $57,670 and $75,970 for dental hygienists.

The average annual salaries for dental hygienists and assistants range between $37,860 and $88,610 in the highest ranking states for dental health, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and dental provider Express Dentists.

Thirty two dental companies recently ranked among the fastest growing in the U.S. by Inc. 5000.

Alaska is the most expensive state to get a dental X-ray, according to Sidecar Health's care calculator.

A study named Connecticut as the top place for dental health and seven other updates on the oral health of Americans in 2022:

The states ranked for having the worst dental health vary in the number of dentists, average salary and reimbursements rates for dental care. 

The states ranked for having the best dental health vary in the number of dentists, average salary and reimbursements rates for dental care. 

Connecticut is the best state in the U.S. for dental health and also ranks in the top 5 highest earning states for dentists.

Connecticut ranks as the top state for dental health in the U.S., while Denmark was listed as the top country for dental health in the world. 

Fifty-three dental schools in the U.S. are ranked among the best in the world, according to an annual ranking from ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, a higher education research organization. 

Here are 100 stats that show how compensation for dental professionals stack up:

Guardian Direct, Delta Dental and Humana are among the best insurers in the U.S. in 2022, according to a July 21 ranking by Money magazine.

Las Vegas is the top city for dental visit procrastination in the U.S., according to a recent report from orthodontics company Byte. 

Dentists typically make between $180,000 and $196,000 per year in the 10 largest cities in the U.S.

The average annual salary of a dentist ranks below that of other medical specialties, while salaries for oral surgeons and orthodontists rank above 10 other medical specialties, according to data from the ZipRecruiter and Medscape.

The past few years have impacted dental practices in many ways and today the lingering effects of the pandemic continue to present new challenges such as unpredictable patient appointments, last-minute cancellations and hiring increasingly elusive quality team members. For patients, the cost of care continues to be a top reason why they delay seeking treatment, and 87% of patients report having difficulty paying for a $500 unexpected medical bill not covered by insurance. These numbers are important because in 2020 patients paid a total of $53.2 million in out-of-pocket costs for dental care.

Oral medicine had just nine program graduates in 2021 while general practice residency had 1,176, according to the American Dental Association's "Dental Education Program Enrollment and Graduates Report: 2021-22."

Dental assistants typically bring in less money each year than the average household income in each state, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau.