The state of dentistry in the best, worst states for dental health: 7 things to know

Here are seven things to know about the dental industries in Connecticut and Arkansas:

1. Connecticut was ranked as the state with the best dental health and Arkansas ranked last, according to study by a dental provider. 

2. Connecticut was given a score of 21 out of 32 and Arkansas received a score of 13 out of 32 for the extensiveness of their adult Medicaid dental coverage, according to a nonprofit organization.

3. Arkansas has 133 dental practitioner shortage areas, according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Connecticut has just 39 shortage areas. 

4. Connecticut has nearly twice the number of active general dentists compared to Arkansas, with 1,745 and 941 respectively, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2021 Connecticut had a population of more than 3.5 million and Arkansas had just over 3 million residents.

5. Two Connecticut dental schools were ranked among the best in the world by a higher education research organization. Arkansas did not have any schools as part of the rankings.

6. Connecticut placed No. 5 on a list by career website Zippia of states for dentists to live and work while Arkansas placed No. 33.

7. Here is the average annual salary for five dental roles in both states, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: