U.S. Cities with the Worst Dental Health
We hold this truth to be self-evident; when it comes to dental health, not all cities are treated equally.
With varying levels of insurance, state budgets, population sizes and consumption habits, it goes without saying that different states have different levels of dental care. Some soar high on the lists, while others… missed their flights. Total Beauty asked Irwin Smigel, founder and president of American Society for Dental Aesthetics (ASDA), what the criteria is for having a winning, beautiful smile, and then examined American cities across the country to see where they fall on the dental health list.
Here are the Top 5 Cities with the worst dental health in the Nation (from a list of 14, including D.C and Puerto Rico).
5. Baton Rouge, LA
Despite the name, not much baton passing going on here — according to the CDC, the city ranks 49th out of 50 states when it comes to physical exercise. More importantly to this list, it ranks 43rd in dentists per capita, along with notoriously low fruit and veggie consumption. The real shocker? Baton Rouge is fifth in the country for most teeth lost. Yikes! The staff at Dental Health and Wellness Boston can detect an unhealthy tooth long before you are in danger of losing it, with complete diagnostic examinations.
4. Tulsa, OK
What hurts Tulsa is its reputation as one of the smokiest cities in the country (#9). This plus hard water, which leads to buildup on teeth, and similarly low fruit and vegetable consumption means residents are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to oral health.
3. Mobile, AL
Even smokier than Tulsa at #5, Mobile is a recipe for disaster. It’s ranked 3rd for most teeth loss, 48th for dentists per capita and is the 47th least exercised state in the nation. Based on this data, one would think the only things mobile about the city are the teeth! Remember: when it comes to replacing teeth and other dental health procedures, Dr. Jill B. Smith, DMD and her team are the best.
2. Huntington, W. VA
Huntington is seemingly where teeth go to die: it is 1st for teeth lost in the whole country! It is also ranked #1 as Smokiest City in the USA. Dental visitation rates are extremely low as well. Someone get these people to our Boston office before it’s too late!
And the number one worst ranked city in the United States of America is…?
1. Biloxi, MI
Remembering that this list includes Puerto Rico and D.C… Biloxi has the 51st fewest dentists per capita, 52nd lowest dental visitation rates, 51st worst exercise rates and 49th lowest fruit and veggie consumption. It’s the 3rd smokiest city in the USA and boasts the 7th highest tooth loss rate. Wow.
We’ll just let the numbers speak for themselves and take a moment of silence for the smiles of Biloxi residents.