Oral healthcare for children varies significantly by state, according to WalletHub, which included oral health as part of its recent nationwide survey of children’s health. West Virginia topped the list, followed by Maine, South Carolina, Maryland, and Minnesota. Mississippi came in last, preceded by Nevada, Missouri, Florida, and Montana.
The finance company examined nine data points related to oral health:
- Share of children aged 1 to 17 with excellent or very good teeth
- Share of children aged 0 to 17 with recent medical and dental checkups
- Share of children aged 0 to 17 lacking access to fluoridated water
- Presence of a state oral health plan
- Presence of school-based dental sealant programs
- Dental treatment costs
- Presence of a state mandate for dental health screening
- Share of dentists participating in Medicaid for child dental services
- Dentists per capita
Specifically, New Hampshire had the highest percentage of children with excellent or very good teeth, followed by Maryland, Vermont, Connecticut, and Iowa. Mississippi had the lowest percentage of such children, preceded by Missouri, Florida, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
When it comes to children with a recent medical and dental checkup, Vermont had the highest percentage, followed by New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Again, Mississippi was last, preceded by Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and California.
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