Illinois Gets High Marks For Dental Health

Earlier this week, I gave you the bad news about a new study that highlights Illinois' problems with high property taxes (only New Jersey has higher property taxes). On the good news front, you have a lovely smile.

Much of the time when you see a best state/worst state comparison (like the property tax study), Illinois unfortunately winds up in the worst state category.

However, when it comes to our collective oral health, residents of the Land of Lincoln should be smiling.

Personal finance website WalletHub put their considerable number-crunching skills to work, and took at look at the States With The Best/Worst Dental Health. Here's what they looked at to determine the best and worst in America:

Many people dislike visiting their dentist, especially if they haven’t kept up with their brushing and flossing. Some even have dental anxiety and phobia. But there are other people who wish they could go yet can’t afford it. According to the CDC, 36% of adults have gone over a year without seeing a dentist. The costs of frequent dental checks are worth it, though. A checkup costs $85-$100 on average while a filling can go for $230-$300 and a crown typically sets you back over $1,100. Prevention is cheaper than treatment. WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key indicators of dental wellness. Our data set 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.

So, guess who's in the top 5 best states? Yep. Illinois. As a matter of fact, 3 of the top 5 best states for dental health are right here in the Midwest:

1) Minnesota

2) Wisconsin

3) Connecticut

4) Illinois

5) North Dakota

Here's a breakdown of our numbers:

Dental Health in Illinois (1=Best; 25=Avg.):
6th – % of Adolescents Who Visited a Dentist in the Past Year
29th – % Of Adults Who Visited a Dentist in the Past Year
16th – Dental Treatment Costs
23rd – Dentists per Capita
14th – Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption
2nd – % of Adults with Poor or Fair Oral Condition
1st – % of Adults Who Experienced Oral Pain in the Past Year
23rd – % of Adults with Low Life Satisfaction Due to Their Oral Condition

The 5 worst states for dental health are:

47) Montana

48) West Virginia

49) Alabama

50) Arkansas

51) Mississippi

Click here to read WalletHub's full report on the Best and Wost States for Dental Health.