Oral diseases, including tooth decay, cavities, and gum disease, are a common, widespread issue throughout the United States. In addition to causing pain, such diseases can lead to tooth loss and oral infection if left undiagnosed and untreated.

More than 40% of adults reported feeling pain in their mouths within the past year, and more than 80% of individuals will have had at least one cavity by age 34 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Nationwide, 66% of American adults reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic in 2022, a decrease from 66.7% in 2020 (based on 2019 data), according to a report from nola.com.

According to the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Southern states ranked among the poorest for adult dental visits in the country. The percentages of adults who reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year, by state, were as follows, according to the BRFSS in 2022: 

• Less than 60%: Alabama (58.2%), Arkansas (55.6%), Georgia (59.9%), Oklahoma (58.8%), Tennessee (59.5%), Texas (57.9%), and West Virginia (56.6%).
• 60% to 63%: Alaska (61.8%), Arizona (60.7%), Florida (61.2%), Kentucky (60.3%), Louisiana (60.4%), Missouri (61.2%), Nevada (60.8%), and New Mexico (61.7%).
• 63.1% to 66%: Delaware (64.6%), Illinois (65.9%), Indiana (63.1%), Maine (65.2%), Montana (64.1%), New York (64.3%), North Carolina (63.6%), Ohio (64.4%), South Carolina (63.1%), and Wyoming (65.2%).
• 66.1% to 69%: California (66.2%), Colorado (66.4%), Idaho (68.7%), Iowa (68.3%), Kansas (66.0%), Maryland (66.7%), Minnesota (68.4%), Nebraska (66.2%), New Jersey (68.3%), North Dakota (66.6%), Oregon (66.2%), Pennsylvania (67.7%), Vermont (68.0%), Virginia (68.4%), Washington (67.8%), and Wisconsin (68.2%).
• More than 69%: Connecticut (73.9%), Hawaii (71.9%), Massachusetts (73.2%), Michigan (69.4%), New Hampshire (69.0%), Rhode Island (70.3%), South Dakota (69.6%), and Utah (71.3%)

Data was not available for Mississippi.