Kentucky was reported to have some of the country’s poorest dental health in 2024, according to a new report from ValuePenguin by LendingTree.
Even with the lowest average dental health costs of $370, 39.7% of adults in the state did not see a dentist in the past year. Dental health workers per capita in Kentucky are also 8.8% below the national average.
Additionally, 99.7% of the state has access to fluoridated drinking water currently, which is the 2nd highest in the country. If Kentucky joins states across the country in moving to ban fluoride in public drinking water, residents’ dental health will be at risk.
Research has long shown that fluoridated water can reduce cavity rates, but access varies — and amid states imposing bans on fluoridated water, access may become even further limited. Across the U.S., 72.3% of Americans as of 2022 were on water systems receiving fluoridated water.
Access is highest in the District of Columbia, at 100.0%. That’s followed by Kentucky (99.7%) and Minnesota (98.9%).
Lawmakers in states including Ohio and South Carolina have made proposals to restrict fluoride in water, while similar restrictions were rejected or stalled in New Hampshire, Tennessee, North Dakota and Kentucky.
ValuePenguin health insurance expert Divya Sangameshwar says this push is alarming. “With fluoride bans, tooth decay rates could rise, particularly among children in rural or low-income communities without access to regular dental care,” she says. “For families, this means more expenses. More frequent cavities and other dental problems will lead to paying more for dental procedures like fillings, root canals and extractions. In addition, families may also need to spend on fluoride supplements for their children.”
Additionally findings said about 2 in 5 (40.3%) adults have had at least one permanent tooth removed. Over half have had a tooth removed in three states: West Virginia (56.5%), Mississippi (51.3%) and Kentucky (51.1%).
It was also reported in 2024, 14.1% of Kentucky’s children reported tooth decay or cavities—the 5th highest rate in the country.
Original article online at: https://www.lanereport.com/181681/2025/06/kentucky-facing-potential-dental-health-crisis/