Oral health information site Dentaly ranked all 50 states and Washington, D.C., on dental health by using 12 different metrics in June.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, there are 6,861 dental professional shortage areas in the U.S. as of Aug. 5, an increase from the 6,820 areas earlier in 2024.
The administration’s dashboard shows that the country needs nearly 10,000 dental professionals to fill the shortage areas.
Here are the number of dental professional shortage areas in the worst states for dental health:
1. Arkansas: 121
2. Louisiana: 161
3. West Virginia: 114
4. Mississippi: 148
5. Alabama: 87
6. Oklahoma: 179
7. Kentucky: 190
8. Texas: 256
9. Montana: 116
10. Tennessee: 141
