HJAR Jan/Feb 2025

42 JAN / FEB 2025 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS ORAL HEALTH DIALOGUE COLUMN ORAL HEALTH Approximately 60% of the state’s dentists practice in eight of the state’s 75 counties, with Pulaski County having the majority of the dentists. 3,4 Even though the rate of den- tists per 100,000 population inArkansas has slightly increased from 44.3 in 2015 to 44.7 in 2023, the state has a dentist distribution problem. 5 The national average in the U.S. is 60.4 dentists per 100,000 population. 6 The majority of dentists choose to practice in a city or suburban area simply because it has more advantages and convenient ame- nities for their families and lifestyle choices. Although it’s more expensive to live and op- erate a practice in a city or suburban area, the WITH all the wonderful resources Arkansas has to offer, why is the state ranked last in the nation in oral health? Could factors such as whereArkansans are born, grow up, work, live, and age influence this ranking? These nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, better known as the social de- terminants of health (SDOH), have a major impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Arkansas is regarded mostly as a rural state. 1 According to America’s Health Rank- ings, 43.2% of Arkansans live in rural areas, contrasted with the population of the na- tion who live in rural areas, which is 20%. 2 ORAL HEALTH IN ARKANSAS and How Social Determinants of Health Affect Us