Idaho residents dedicate a larger portion of their personal finances to dental care than those in any other state, according to new research from Thorncrest Dental. The analysis found that 5.30% of personal spending in Idaho goes toward dental work, the highest percentage nationwide.
Utah ranks second, with 5.27% of personal spending allocated to dental work, followed by South Dakota at 4.73%. According to Thorncrest Dental, Idaho residents spend an average of $566 per year on dental care out of an average $10,691 in personal expenditure. Utah residents spend an average of $563 annually on dental work from a total of $10,683 in personal spending, and those in South Dakota spend $662 of their $14,000 average personal expenditure on dental care.
Washington ranks fourth, with 4.70% of finances dedicated to dental care. The state’s residents spend an average of $705 on dental work per year from an overall personal expenditure of $15,012. Nevada places fifth, with 4.53% of personal spending going toward dental work. Individuals in Nevada spend about $541 per year on dentistry out of $11,951 in personal expenditure.
According to Thorncrest Dental, the remaining states rounding out the top ten are Montana in sixth place at 4.27%, Colorado in seventh at 4.25%, North Dakota in eighth at 4.09%, Arizona in ninth at 4.08%, and Oregon in tenth at 4.03%, or approximately $630 per person per year.
In contrast, the states where residents spend the least on dental care are Ohio, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
Speaking about the findings, Dr. Max Dawabsheh from Thorncrest Dental said: “Whether cosmetic or out of sheer necessity, dental work can be expensive. It’s interesting looking at the patterns in the study to see where Americans are valuing their dental work more so than others. Whilst you should never negotiate on quality care, you should always do your research before spending large amounts of money at any dental provider. Check out online reviews on trusted sites and always investigate the option of a free consultation so that any spending on dental work that you may have done is justified and you’re ultimately satisfied with what you’re spending your hard-earned money on.”
The study used 2023 personal expenditure data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to determine the proportion of spending in each state devoted to dental care. Percentages were calculated by comparing the amount spent on dentistry to each state’s total personal expenditure.
More information is available at thorncrestdental.com.
