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Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
Alabama Value:
Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year
Alabama Rank:
Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year
78.5% - 68.4%
68.3% - 66.7%
66.6% - 64.7%
64.6% - 61.7%
61.6% - 56.8%
No Data
US Value: 64.1 %
Top State(s): South Dakota: 78.5 %
Bottom State(s): Texas: 56.8 %
Definition: Percentage of women ages 18-44 who reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2022
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
Oral health is a vital component of overall health. Oral diseases such as dental caries (also known as cavities), gum disease, tooth decay and gingivitis are common and can contribute to severe health issues if left undiagnosed and untreated.
Poor oral health can negatively affect quality of life by causing pain and/or tooth loss, and affect the ability to chew, speak and engage socially. Further, inflammation associated with periodontal disease has been linked to several chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease and oral cancer. More than 40% of adults in the United States reported feeling mouth pain in the past year, and 80% of adults have had at least one cavity by age 34.
Good oral health is particularly important during pregnancy, as physiological changes put pregnant women at higher risk of new or exacerbated oral health problems. For example, increased inflammatory response to dental plaque during pregnancy can cause pregnancy-related gingivitis. Other oral health problems that commonly occur during pregnancy include tooth erosion, cavities and gum disease.
The most common reasons cited for not seeking routine dental care are cost and lack of insurance, and more recently COVID-19. Although dental care service use has largely rebounded from its steep decline during the early months of the pandemic, significant COVID-related barriers to oral health care remain. Nearly a quarter of Americans delayed dental care in 2022 due to COVID-19, and 19% have not seen a dental provider at all since the pandemic began. Furthermore, pandemic-related job losses, reductions in benefits and financial hardship continue to negatively impact access to dental insurance.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the prevalence of annual dental visits is higher among:
Oral diseases are preventable through routine dental visits and proper oral hygiene. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Strategic Framework outlines specific strategies and current government initiatives for improving access to oral health care.
Incorporating oral health counseling into prenatal and perinatal care can help prevent pregnancy-related oral health diseases and encourage healthy oral hygiene habits during and after pregnancy. A 2022 study found that offering comprehensive dental benefits to Medicaid-enrolled pregnant women led to higher rates of dental insurance and increased dental care use.
Resources for finding affordable dental care include:
Increasing the proportion of adults who have used the oral health care system within the past year is a leading health indicator for Healthy People 2030.
The Department of Health and Human Services identifies five key goals in its Oral Health Strategic Framework:
“ACOG Committee Opinion No. 569: Oral Health Care During Pregnancy and Through the Lifespan.” Obstetrics & Gynecology, no. 122 (August 2013): 417–22. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2013/08/oral-health-care-during-pregnancy-and-through-the-lifespan.
Adesanya, Margo R., William Bailey, Donald C. Belcher, Marco Beltran, Tracy Branch, Marcia K. Brand, Edwin M. Craft, et al. “U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Strategic Framework, 2014–2017.” Public Health Reports 131, no. 2 (March 2016): 242–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335491613100208.
Choi, Sung Eun, E. Mo, C. Sima, H. Wu, M. Thakkar-Samtani, E. P. Tranby, J. Frantsve-Hawley, and J. R. Barrow. “Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Care Utilization and Oral Health Conditions in the United States.” JDR Clinical & Translational Research 9, no. 3 (April 21, 2023): 256–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/23800844231165016.
Choi, Sung Eun, Lisa Simon, Sanjay Basu, and Jane R. Barrow. “Changes in Dental Care Use Patterns Due to COVID-19 among Insured Patients in the United States.” The Journal of the American Dental Association 152, no. 12 (December 2021): 1033-1043.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2021.07.002.
Heaton, Lisa J., Adrianna C. Sonnek, Kelly Schroeder, and Eric P. Tranby. “Americans Are Still Not Getting the Dental Care They Need.” Research Report. The State of Oral Health Equity in America 2022. Boston, MA: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, April 2022. https://doi.org/10.35565/CQI.2022.2020.
Kelekar, Uma, and Shillpa Naavaal. “Hours Lost to Planned and Unplanned Dental Visits Among US Adults.” Preventing Chronic Disease 15 (January 11, 2018): 170225. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd15.170225.
Naavaal, Shillpa, and David W. Harless. “Comprehensive Pregnancy Dental Benefits Improved Dental Coverage and Increased Dental Care Utilization among Medicaid-Enrolled Pregnant Women in Virginia.” Frontiers in Oral Health 3 (September 20, 2022): 989659. https://doi.org/10.3389/froh.2022.989659.
Northridge, Mary E., Anjali Kumar, and Raghbir Kaur. “Disparities in Access to Oral Health Care.” Annual Review of Public Health 41, no. 1 (April 2, 2020): 513–35. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094318.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General.” Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 2000.https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2017-10/hck1ocv.%40www.surgeon.fullrpt.pdf.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
