Mississippi is the worst state for dental health, according to personal finance website WalletHub, receiving an overall score of 33.42 out of 100 points.
The states were ranked based on two major metrics: Dental habits and care and oral health. Those two categories were split up into 26 smaller metrics with varying weight. WalletHub published the rankings Feb. 1.
Metrics in the dental habits and care category include dental professionals per capita, the share of population living in dental health professional shortage areas and Medicaid dental benefits for nonelderly adults.
Categories in the oral health section include the share of adults who often experience dry mouth, the share of adults who have reduced life satisfaction due to their oral health and the share of the population who have taken days off from work due to the condition of their mouth and teeth.
Here are the remaining states that make up the bottom ten:
Arkansas — 35.14
West Virginia — 36.04
Montana — 38.95
Texas — 39.39
Louisiana — 39.47
Alaska — 39.82
Alabama — 40.50
California — 43.49
Florida — 44.08