This state isn't worried about dentistry

Vermont is the U.S. state that may be the least concerned about dental health, with Montana, Iowa, Maine, and Wyoming following behind the Green Mountain State, according to a new survey released on October 9 by the Ireland-based practice Bandon Dental.

On the flip side, New York is the U.S. state most concerned about dental health. Louisiana, Nevada, Georgia, and Mississippi followed behind the Empire State to round out the top five spots, according to results shared with DrBicuspid.com.

To create the rankings, Bandon Dental analyzed the number of Google searches for specific procedures and treatments, including teeth whitening, braces, dental implants, veneers, and Align Technology’s Invisalign clear aligners. Each state was given a score out of a total of 500 based on the number of Google searches conducted. The more searches that were conducted in turn pushed a state's score higher, indicating the greatest level of dental concerns among residents.

“Dental health is of vital importance and at this stage, we're all aware of the dangers of neglecting your teeth,” a Bandon Dental spokesperson said in a press release. “Now, more so than ever before, people are being proactive about not just the appearance of their teeth, but their overall oral health too.”

Below is a ranking of how each U.S. state and Washington, D.C., scored:

1. New York: 410
2. Louisiana: 366
3. Nevada: 353
4. Georgia: 351
5. Mississippi: 350
6. Alabama: 336
7. California: 335
8. Florida: 333
9. Texas: 330
10. Oklahoma: 328
11. West Virginia: 326
12. South Carolina: 325
13. Kentucky: 324 
14. New Jersey: 322
15. District of Columbia: 314
16. Pennsylvania: 314
17. Illinois: 313
18. Delaware: 311
19. North Carolina: 310
20. Virginia: 310
21. Maryland: 306
22. Arkansas: 302
23. Utah: 299
24. Hawaii: 297
25. Ohio: 297
26. Colorado: 296
27. Oregon: 294
28. Arizona: 293
29. Connecticut: 293
30. Missouri: 290
31. Rhode Island: 289
32. Tennessee: 288
33. Indiana: 287
34. Kansas: 283
35. Massachusetts: 283
36. Michigan: 281
37. Idaho: 280
38. Minnesota: 280
39. New Hampshire: 275
40. New Mexico: 271
41. Washington: 271
42. Nebraska: 270
43. Alaska: 269
44. North Dakota: 268
45. Wisconsin: 265
46. South Dakota: 260
47. Wyoming: 260
48. Maine: 255
49. Iowa: 253
50. Montana: 245
51. Vermont: 233

“These findings can help inform public health initiatives and dental care strategies across the country,” according to Bandon Dental.