CT Has 5th Best Dental Health in the US, Analysis Finds

Whether there is a cause and effect may be unclear.  But the numbers do tell a story in the latest state-by-state comparison of where in American the best dental health may be.

Here’s what’s happening in the Land of Steady Habits:  Connecticut is ranked 1st in lowest sugary beverage consumption, 1st in adults with lowest levels of oral pain, and 1st in adults who visited a dentist during the past year.

Overall, Connecticut is deemed to be the state with the 5th best dental health in the U.S., according to a new analysis by the financial services website WalletHub.  Only the District of Columbia, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin rank higher. 

In the survey’s two multi-dimensional categories, the state earned top 10 rankings. In the Dental Habits & Care category, Connecticut ranks 8th.  The state’s Oral Health ranking is even better – third. Connecticut also ranked 3rd in the U.S. in the percentage of adolescents who visited a dentist during the past year, and 4th in the prevalence of smokers, among the subcategories considered in the analysis.

"More than 80% of adolescents and 76% of adults have visited a dentist in the past year, some of the largest shares in the country. The state also has a low share of reduced dentist visits due to costs. Other things that contributed to Connecticut's high ranking for dental health include the low sugar sweetened beverage consumption among adolescents, and the small percentage of adult smokers, said analyst Jill Gonzalez. “The presence of school-based dental sealant programs, a state dental periodicity schedule, and the availability of Medicaid dental benefits for non-elderly adults were other positive factors in Connecticut.”

The state also ranked 28th in the number of dentists per capita, 6th in the percentage of adults with poor or fair oral condition, and 6th in the percentage of adults with poor or fair oral condition.

“In terms of oral health, less than a quarter of the population is in poor condition, and only about 9% of the elderly population has no natural teeth. Plus, Connecticut has the lowest share of residents who experience pain or sleeping problems due to their oral condition, just 3%,” Gonzalez added.

In order to determine which places have the healthiest teeth and gums in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 26 key indicators of dental wellness. The data set utilized ranges from share of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year to dental treatment costs to share of adults with low life satisfaction due to oral condition.