Access is one of the most pressing issues surrounding healthcare equity, and the U.S. has work to do to ensure residents across all 50 states can efficiently receive the dental care they need to maintain their oral and systemic health.
The average number of dentists per 100,000 people in the U.S. is 61, according to the United Health Foundation's 2019 "America's Health Rankings" report, which is the longest-standing annual assessment of Americans' health on a state-by-state basis. Massachusetts has the country's highest dentist supply and Alabama has the lowest.
Here are the state-by-state rankings UHF used to calculate states' 2019 overall health scores, the most recent available. Values reflect the number of active dentists per 100,000 population. The complete report can be accessed here.
- Massachusetts — 82.7
- Alaska — 81.5
- New Jersey — 79
- California — 77.8
- Hawaii — 76
- New York — 74.9
- Connecticut — 73.3
- Maryland — 70.6
- Washington — 70.6
- Colorado — 70.1
- Illinois — 67.3
- Oregon — 67.3
- Nebraska — 65.3
- Virginia — 62.6
- New Hampshire— 62.1
- Utah — 62.1
- Montana — 61.0
- Michigan — 60.6
- Pennsylvania — 60.5
- Minnesota — 58.5
- Wisconsin — 57.1
- Vermont — 56.8
- Kentucky— 55.3
- Nevada — 54.7
- Arizona — 54.4
- North Dakota — 54.3
- Iowa — 54.1
- Rhode Island — 53.6
- Ohio — 53.4
- Idaho — 53.3
- Maine — 53.2
- Wyoming — 53.1
- Texas — 52.9
- New Mexico — 52.4
- North Carolina — 52.2
- South Dakota — 51.3
- Florida — 51.2
- Kansas — 50.1
- Tennessee — 49.5
- Missouri — 49.4
- Oklahoma — 49.2
- Indiana — 48.0
- West Virginia — 48.0
- Louisiana — 47.8
- South Carolina — 47.8
- Georgia — 46.8
- Delaware — 43.3
- Mississippi — 43.1
- Arkansas — 42.1
- Alabama — 41.8
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