A lack of sufficient dental providers is one barrier to accessing oral health care and this is prevalent in a number of rural areas in Arkansas.  Sixty percent of the state’s dentists practice in just eight of the state’s 75 counties, although these eight counties have only 40 percent of the state’s population. Sixty-five Arkansas counties are designated whole or in part Dental Health Professions Shortage Areas (HPSA) and these are mostly in rural areas.

Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, Arkansas 2023

Poor oral health, which pertains not only to teeth but to the health of the whole mouth and related structures, is another factor that contributes to poor health. Tooth decay in young children can begin shortly after the eruption of their first tooth. When a child starts life with tooth decay, they are much more likely to have severe dental problems as an adult. Untreated dental disease can lead to serious health effects including pain, infection, and tooth loss.  In worst cases, untreated tooth infections and abscesses can lead to death. Poor oral health can also cause cancers of the mouth or pharynx.