We should explain how we came up with the rankings. But this is the boring part. Feel free to skip down to the rankings. We would, if we didn’t have to write the following explanation.
Ease in rendering preventive care
his is not referring to operatory equipment or commitment of employers (although that would be a dandy survey in the future). This is about the mindset of the state in general about health care, as well as some specific dental considerations. We figure if everyone is gung-ho about health care, then the likelihood increases that there will be more compliant patients. Of course, some dental hygienists view the opposite as being their mission. They want to head for a state where teeth are missing, breaths stink, and patients keep asking for the “cleaning lady” at the front desk. Set those folks straight, if that’s your goal. Otherwise, the things we evaluated in regard to a state’s emphasis on health care included:
1.The number of times residents visited a dental clinic for any reason in the past year
2.Adults who have had any permanent teeth extracted
3.Community water fluoridation
4.Percentage of population without health insurance
5.StateMaster.com’s health index, based on 21 criteria
6.Students with below basic eighth grade science proficiency. Residents who understand some scientific principles 7.can better follow your explanations of disease.
8.Children living in poverty
9.Percentage of children who have undergone both medical and dental preventive visits in the past year.
Ease in making a living
The salary is part of it (but only as a tie-breaker, in some cases). The government thinks dental hygiene is a great career choice for the future. The profession will grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years. There are certainly underserved areas that would benefit from more hygienists. But we also believe employers like an influx of too many hygienists because it keeps salary levels down. This factor can’t be ignored, particularly in states with high unemployment rates where even a second career can be difficult to start. We also think things such as mortgage rates and taxes can influence how much you enjoy that salary. The factors evaluated for this category included:
1.Ratio of dental hygiene schools to overall population
2.Cost of living rankings
3.One-year increase in the unemployment rate for the year ending in September 2009
4.Monthly mortgage costs. Yes, not everyone owns a home, but we believe home ownership is still part of the 5.American dream
6.Tax burdens
Ease in enjoying life
Some states are like the proverbial fine wine; students keep graduating from colleges within the borders and don’t want to leave. The living is just so good. Even though this category accounted for just 25% of the final score, we fully recognize that hygienists want to have fun too. We looked at a couple of consumer rankings of states, including Woman’s Day’s “Can Money Buy Happiness?” ranking of the states. The ranking in Woman’s Day’s September 2009 issue explored the “level of satisfaction” with all aspects of life. Finally, crime was weighed in, as well as the peer-pressure factors of physical activity and education (if the neighbors stay active and encourage kids to do well in school, then living just got easier for you). The factors evaluated in this category included:
1.StateMaster.com’s “best places to live” ranking, which rated 44 “livability” factors.
2.Incidents of violent crime
3.High school graduation rates
4.Physical activity levels on a monthly basis
5.The aforementioned Woman’s Day ranking
1. Iowa
The lowest ranking in any of the preventive care categories was 12th in the percentage of children with both a medical and dental preventive care visit in the past year. That’s healthy! Other than that, Iowa is 16th in cost of living, and 27th in taxes. It’s not bad, yet it’s not outstanding. The average income is $50,210. So weigh one against the other. We found one Internet forum where someone was thinking about relocating to Iowa and asked for some insight on what it’s like to live there. One response, which is also applicable to all of the states in the top five, was: “The winters can be brutally cold, especially if you’re not accustomed to the temperatures. The coldest actual temperature I’ve seen since living here has been 31 degrees below zero. The wind chill was close to 80 below. When it’s that cold, you feel it to your soul.” That kind of pitch will make anyone excited about relocating.
2. South Dakota
South Dakota has the third lowest increase in unemployment, the fourth lowest tax burden, the ninth lowest cost of living, and is 11th lowest in mortgage payments. There are a couple of burps in the preventive care category, such as being 34th in children living in poverty. Overall, though, the state is focused on health care, and the cost of living is very reasonable on the high plains.
3. New Hampshire
Iowa, Minnesota, and New Hampshire scored the highest in the preventive care category. What bumped New Hampshire out of the top slot? The Boston suburbs are 40th in cost of living and 44th in mortgage payments. Can the average income of $59,600 of families with a single breadwinner compensate? Maybe; maybe not.
4 North Dakota
Hey, the state is first in patients who have an understanding of eighth grade science. You may not even have to spell P-E-R-I-O-D-O-N-T-A-L for them. North Dakota, though, is 48th in percentage of children with both a medical and dental preventive care visit last year. But you gotta like the state’s No. 1 ranking in the lowest unemployment rate increase and the fewest violent crimes. Is there a relationship between the two? Where’s a sociologist when you need one?
5. Connecticut
Forget California and its reputation as a trendsetter in dental hygiene! Forget Illinois and its role as the center of the universe for organized dentistry! Head back to where it all started, where Dr. Al Fones thought what we needed for oral health care was an individual known as the dental hygienist. The state is first in adults visiting the dentist, and third with the percentage of children with medical and dental preventive visits. Dr. Fones would be proud. The rub? Connecticut is 46th in monthly mortgage payments. Ouch!
6. Vermont
In this parade of stellar New England and upper Midwest states, we encounter Vermont. A very solid score in preventive health care. Check. A great place to live as a citizen. Check. Whoa! Forty-second in cost of living, 39th in taxes, and 32nd in mortgage payments. Erase those check marks?
7. Virginia
Virginia is above average in every aspect in “ease in rendering preventive care.” The weakest links were a ranking of 21st in both lowest percentage of population without health insurance, and percentage of children with both a medical and dental preventive care in the last year. Pretty impressive. But the nation’s capital is still on the northern border, ensuring that Virginians are 37th in mortgage payments, meaning a healthy chunk of the $66,000 plus change in salary covers the rent.
8. Nebraska
It’s all about living in the plains, the “ease in enjoying life” category. If that’s the deciding factor, Nebraska is the fifth best state to be a hygienist, not eighth. On top of it, the Cornhuskers have witnessed the second lowest increase in unemployment over the last year, trailing only North Dakota. However, the state is just so-so in percentage of adult visits to the dentist (25th) and percentage of children with both a medical and dental preventive care visit (33rd). Surprisingly, the tax burden (37th overall) takes $107.71 out of every $1,000 those hygienists making $47,000 earn.
9. Minnesota
We have already mentioned (see New Hampshire) that Minnesota is high on preventive care (second in loss of natural teeth and 10th in adults visiting a dental office). Still think it’s too cold? Buy a better coat … and grab an extra checkbook too. The state’s tax burden is 44th in the country, cost of living is 34th, and mortgage payments are 35th. The Twin Cities are on the expensive side for an average income of $58,910. A greater concern, though, is that Minnesota ranks 38th in the ratio of dental hygiene schools to overall population. However, one of those schools is the pilot program for the next generation of dental hygienists — a sign of exciting times to come.
10. Wisconsin
Do they race each other on the St. Croix, and the Badgers lose just by a hair to neighboring Minnesota? Wisconsin’s only negative ranking in preventive care is that the state is 34th in percentage of children with medical and dental preventive care visits. Wisconsin, though, is 46th with its tax burden and 33rd in the job market pinch over the last year. But the economic struggles that pull against the average salary of $52,120 must be worth the trouble. Wisconsin boasts the nation’s top high school graduation rate and third lowest number of violent crimes.
10. Wisconsin
Do they race each other on the St. Croix, and the Badgers lose just by a hair to neighboring Minnesota? Wisconsin’s only negative ranking in preventive care is that the state is 34th in percentage of children with medical and dental preventive care visits. Wisconsin, though, is 46th with its tax burden and 33rd in the job market pinch over the last year. But the economic struggles that pull against the average salary of $52,120 must be worth the trouble. Wisconsin boasts the nation’s top high school graduation rate and third lowest number of violent crimes.
11. Kansas
So Kansas is bumped out of the “top 10 best states for a dental hygienist to live in” by 0.9072 of a point to Wisconsin? Is it fair to hold Kansans accountable for sharing a border with Oklahoma (see No. 33)? What a difference an invisible line in the wheat fields makes! Kansas scored 19 points better than Oklahoma in “ease in rendering preventive care.” Although Kansas, like Oklahoma, enjoys a low cost of living ranking (10th overall), the Sunflower state was merely average in most of the other career and lifestyle factors.
12. Colorado
It would make sense to say we’re crazy for placing the first truly “independent” state for dental hygienists below Kansas and Wisconsin. Add this to the reasons for certifying us as crazy: Colorado has the eighth lowest ratio of dental hygiene schools to the overall population, the sixth lowest tax burden, and Woman’s Day thinks Colorado is the fourth “happiest” place to live. But take this as our plea for sanity: Colorado is 30th in percentage of children with both a medical and dental preventive care visit, 32nd in adult visits in the dentist, and 36th in percentage of population without health care. It’s not awful, but those kinds of obstacles will allow Wisconsin and Kansas to slide by you any ol’ day.
13. Idaho
Let’s start with the negatives, since everything else is pretty good in the Gem of the Mountains. Idaho ranks 30th with its one-year increase in the unemployment rate, and the state also ranks dead last in the percentage of children with both a medical and dental preventive care visit. But Idaho ranks 11th through 20th in nine out of the 18 categories we considered. Like we said, Idaho is a gem.
14. Maryland
Woman’s Day claims Maryland is the sixth “happiest” place to live. The percentage of children living in poverty is the fifth best in the country. The state ranks seventh in the ratio of dental hygiene schools to overall population, and the average income is $74,780. However, Maryland is also 46th in cost of living rankings and 41st in mortgage payments. Gotta hustle to pay those bills.
15. Utah
Well, we discovered Utah is ranked 50th in the percentage of population receiving fluoridated water. Afterwards, we receiving an e-mail from the Beehive state asking, “What water? That’s a salt lake over yonder in the desert!” Now that we have that joke out of the way, let’s point out that Utah is first in retention of natural teeth, second with fewest children living in poverty, and at the very top of Woman’s Day’s “happiness” rankings. Don’t get too excited, though; Utah is above average in tax burdens (38th), mortgage payments (30th), and the ratio of dental hygiene schools to overall population (37th).
16. Montana
Utah and Montana are not neighbors; Idaho gets in the way. But it does seem like our scoring system finds regional similarities, particularly in lifestyles. Only 0.35 of a point separate Utah and Montana in that category. But Montana fares 11 points better in the “ease in making a living” category. The treasures of Montana include a 10th lowest one-year increase in unemployment, 13th lowest tax burden, and 17th lowest median mortgage payments.
17. Maine
Maine is the fifth lowest in percentage of population without health insurance and 10th in percentage of children with a medical and dental preventive care visit in the past year. Despite a solid emphasis on preventive care, Maine is 49th with its tax burden and 38th in cost of living. Even Woman’s Day just gave it a mediocre salute with a ranking of 29th
18. Washington
Washington is one of those politically correct states in the world of dental hygiene, always considered to be very progressive and eager to try new concepts. To make it even sweeter, the average income for a dental hygienist is $73,600. But Colorado and Minnesota are ranked higher because the best ranking the state receives in the “ease in making a living” category is 19th for its tax burden. It’s tougher than you think to stretch that $73,000 to cover the expenses. It’s enough to make you sleepless in Washington.
19. Delaware
Someone warned us the other day not to call Delaware “little.” We’re not going to do that. Oops, we just did. Here’s what’s gigantic about being a dental hygienist in Delaware: fourth highest percentage of adult visits to the dentist and 10th fewest children living in poverty. That cute little state, however, is too close to the District of Columbia and Philadelphia, and the First State is 30th in cost of living, 33rd in median mortgage payments, and 36th with its tax burden. At least we liked the little state better than Woman’s Day (36th).
20. Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has the seventh lowest percentage of population without health insurance and is eighth in percentage of children with both a medical and dental preventive care visit. If you’re an outsider, do what we do: Blame the negatives on the Steelers and the Eagles. The Keystone State is 31st in cost of living and 44th in violent crimes. However, we liked the fact that Pennsylvania is 12th with is ratio of dental hygiene schools to overall population.
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