REVEALED: The US state with the worst oral health...as study shows some Americans are brushing their teeth with WASHCLOTHS

Dental health is not created equal across America. 

Two recent studies into the oral health of Americans across the country have laid bare the shocking state of the nations' teeth - with one suggesting that the average adult often goes five days without brushing their teeth.

The new poll of 2,000 Americans found that more than a third of adults across the country hadn't visited the dentist in a year. 

Shockingly, it also suggested and that many forget to brush their teeth five times a week.

The poll revealed astonishing oral care behaviors among some citizens; respondents reported seeing others clean their teeth with washcloths, and floss with fishing line.

 Despite those shoddy results, 92 of those polled believe that oral health is important.

'While it’s promising to see that people are keeping dental health top of mind, as a dentist, I encourage more commitment to maintaining each of the critical steps of the oral hygiene routine,' Dr Marie Jackson, a dentist and spokesperson for Listerine, who commissioned the survey, told told StudyFinds. 

However, a separate 2024 state-by-state analysis has found huge discrepancies between areas of the country. 

For instance, Illinois scored 72 on an independent measure of state-wide oral health- based on a wide range of influential factors - while Arkansas scored 33.

Research conducted by a team of researchers from George Washington University among other institutions looked at 25 characteristics to determine a score.

This included measures like the number of adolescents who visited a dentist in the past year, dental treatment costs, number of smokers and elderly people with no natural teeth.

There were also factors from the environment to consider, like the amount of dentists per capita, and whether or not the state added fluoride to the water supply. 

A poll conducted by Listerine found that some Americans are using washcloths to brush their teeth - and flossing using fishing line

They arrived at their conclusions by using data from the 2024 census, the CDC, the American Dental Association, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services and more. 

It found that the states where residents are likely to have good oral health were Illinois, Wisconsin, Idaho Minnesota and Michigan. The states with the worst were Montana, Louisiana, West Virginia, Mississippi and Arkansas. 

Tennessee  ranked near the bottom overall because there were the fewest number of dentists per capita, which makes it harder for citizens to get oral care. 

States with the best dental health had the highest number of people reporting satisfaction with their mouth, and the least amount of people taking time off work to deal with teeth problems. 

Connecticut had the lowest number of adults experiencing tooth pain, and California had the highest. The Golden state proportion of adults experiencing tooth pain outweighed the Constitution state by five times. 

A recent analysis found that dental care in the US is the most expensive across all G7 nations 

In Wisconsin, which ranked at number two, 71 percent of adults visit the dentist in the past year. The study authors wrote that part of that high retention could because Wisconsinites dental care is covered by Medicaid, which is not commonplace across the country. 

In Idaho, which came in third place, there is not a high number of dentists per capita. This, the researchers wrote, is emblematic of how personal responsibility is the frontline defense in caring for teeth.

For example, only 10 percent of adolescents in the state drink soda. Lower ranking states, like West Virginia, had roughly four times more adolescents consuming sugary beverages daily. 

'Ben Franklin was right – “an ounce of prevention IS worth a pound of cure.” The very best way to maintain dental health without breaking the bank is to rely first and foremost on how you care for your mouth on a day-to-day basis,'  Dr Burton Edelstein, a professor of dentistry at Columbia University commented.