Where the Teeth Bite* from Men’s Health

By Denny Watkins, Men’s Health

Men’s Health

It’s a good thing barbecue is so popular in Texas—worst case, the state’s dentally challenged can simply gum their fall-off-the-bone favorite. In ranking the nation’s best and worst teeth, two Lone Star State cities—El Paso and Lubbock—finish in the bottom 10, with San Antonio and Dallas close behind. Nor is this just a beauty contest, given that poor oral hygiene is linked to higher risks of heart disease, stroke, and even pancreatic cancer.

Check out Men’s Health’s Interactive Map of Where the Teeth Bite

Our analysis includes stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the number of people who visit their dentists for annual checkups, the number of no-shows whose choppers are dropping out, and the number of households with fluoride on tap. And since warding off gum disease is key to keeping your smile, we also factored in who’s flossing, from Mediamark Research. When the computer spit out the results, it became clear that some drilling is needed in Texas, and we don’t mean for oil.

The Acid Bath

On the surface it makes sense: Brush your teeth after breakfast. Problem is, cereal, bananas, and OJ are acidic, and if you eat them and then brush right away, you’ll remove some of the temporarily softened tooth enamel. The remedy? Wait 20 minutes before you brush, says David Bartlett, B.D.S., Ph.D., a British expert on dental erosion.

Scan for Stroke

After your dentist checks for cavities, ask him to eyeball your arteries. The panoramic dental x-ray not only offers a 180-degree window into your oral health, but also reveals whether the other plaque is piling up in your carotid arteries—plaque that might otherwise go undetected until you stroke out. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of dentists bother to look. “Many dentists miss the bigger picture of health,” says Laurie Carter, D.D.S., Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Nudge your dentist to examine your x-ray. If he sees anything suspicious, ask him to send the film to your physician.

Cities with the Best Teeth

Rank	City Name
1	Madison, WI
2	Nashville, TN
3	Raleigh, NC
4	St. Paul, MN
5	Aurora, CO
6	Charlotte, NC
7	Yonkers, NY
8	Grand Rapids, MI
9	Fargo, ND
10	Minneapolis, MN

Cities with the Worst Teeth

Rank	City Name
100	Lubbock, TX
99	Philadelphia, PA
98	Spokane, WA
97	Salt Lake City, UT
96	Jackson, MS
95	El Paso, TX
94	Portland, OR
93	Tulsa, OK
92	Tucson, AZ
91	Baton Rouge, LA

 

Cities with the Most Households Using Floss in the Past 6 Months

Rank	City Name
1	Fremont, CA
2	San Jose, CA
3	Anchorage, AK
4	Arlington, TX
5	Anaheim, CA
6	Aurora, CO
7	Charlotte, NC
8	Colorado Springs, CO
9	Raleigh, NC
10	Las Vegas, NV

Cities Where the Most People Visited the Dentist Within the Past Year

Rank	City Name
1	St. Paul, MN
2	Hartford, CT
3	Minneapolis, MN
4	Burlington, VT
5	Fargo, ND
6	Wilmington, DE
7	Manchester, NH
8	Lincoln, NE
9	Providence, RI
10	Raleigh, NC

Cities Providing the Highest Percentage of Fluoridated Water

Rank	City Name
1	Washington, DC
2	Lexington, KY
3	Louisville, KY
4	Chicago, IL
5	Minneapolis, MN
6	St. Paul, MN
7	Memphis, TN
8	Nashville, TN
9	Fargo, ND
10	Fort Wayne, IN

Lowest Rate of permanent teeth extractions

Rank	City Name
1	Madison, WI
2	Anchorage, AK
3	Corpus Christi, TX
4	Grand Rapids, MI
5	Jackson, MS
6	Anaheim, CA
7	Bakersfield, CA
8	Fresno, CA
9	Modesto, CA
10	Sacramento, CA

 

100 Cities: From Worst to Best

Rank	City Name	Grade	-	Rank	City Name	Grade
100	Lubbock, TX	F	-	50	Columbia, SC	C+
99	Philadelphia, PA	F	-	49	Modesto, CA	C+
98	Spokane, WA	F	-	48	Honolulu, HI	C+
97	Salt Lake City, UT	F	-	47	Bakersfield, CA	C+
96	Jackson, MS	F	-	46	Norfolk, VA	C+
95	El Paso, TX	F	-	45	Las Vegas, NV	C+
94	Portland, OR	F	-	44	Fort Wayne, IN	C+
93	Tulsa, OK	D-	-	43	Richmond, VA	C+
92	Tucson, AZ	D-	-	42	Charleston, WV	C+
91	Baton Rouge, LA	D-	-	41	Lexington, KY	C+
90	Los Angeles, CA	D-	-	40	Greensboro, NC	C+
89	San Antonio, TX	D-	-	39	Indianapolis, KY	B-
88	St. Louis, MO	D-	-	38	Hartford, CT	B-
87	Dallas, TX	D-	-	37	Little Rock, AR	B-
86	Tampa, FL	D-	-	36	Anaheim, CA	B-
85	Jersey City, NJ	D-	-	35	Washington, DC	B-
84	Denver, CO	D-	-	34	New York, NY	B-
83	St. Petersburg, FL	D	-	33	Atlanta, GA	B-
82	Oklahoma City, OK	D	-	32	San Jose, CA	B-
81	Billings, MT	D	-	31	Providence, RI	B-
80	Pittsburgh, PA	D	-	30	San Diego, CA	B-
79	Miami, FL	D	-	29	Wilmington, DE	B
78	Boston, MA	D	-	28	Seattle, WA	B
77	Kansas City, MO	D+	-	27	Cleveland, OH	B
76	Newark, NJ	D+	-	26	Fremont, CA	B
75	Austin, TX	D+	-	25	Manchester, NH	B
74	Fresno, CA	D+	-	24	Toledo, OH	B
73	Sacramento, CA	D+	-	23	Durham, NC	B
72	Birmingham, AL	D+	-	22	Boise, ID	B
71	Buffalo, NY	D+	-	21	San Francisco, CA	B
70	Corpus Christi, TX	D+	-	20	Columbus, OH	B
69	Houston, TX	C-	-	19	Wichita, KS	B
68	Louisville, KY	C-	-	18	Colorado Springs, CO	B+
67	Rochester, NY	C-	-	17	Omaha, NE	B+
66	Bangor, ME	C-	-	16	Jacksonville, FL	B+
65	Riverside, CA	C-	-	15	Sioux City, SD	B+
64	Burlington, VT	C-	-	14	Lincoln, NE	B+
63	Memphis, TN	C-	-	13	Des Moines, IA	B+
62	Orlando, FL	C-	-	12	Lincoln, NE	B+
61	Baltimore, MD	C-	-	11	Anchorage, AK	B+
60	Montgomery, AL	C	-	10	Minneapolis, MN	B+
59	Milwaukee, WI	C	-	9	Fargo, ND	A-
58	Detroit, MI	C	-	8	Grand Rapids, MI	A-
57	Cincinnati, OH	C	-	7	Yonkers, NY	A-
56	Fort Worth, TX	C	-	6	Charlotte, NC	A-
55	Oakland, CA	C	-	5	Aurora, CO	A-
54	Albuquerque, NM	C	-	4	St. Paul, MN	A
53	Chicago, IL	C	-	3	Raleigh, NC	A+
52	Phoenix, AZ	C	-	2	Nashville, TN	A+
51	Cheyenne, MY	C	-	1	Madison, WI	A+

Provided by Men’s Health

URL: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/oral-care/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100199710>1=31017