Published on October 31, 2009 at 3:01 AM
The annual amount spent by Georgians and Ohioans or their insurers for dental care in 2006 averaged about $150 less than the national average of $607, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The average annual dental expenditure for each Georgian who had dental care was $466, while for Ohioans, it was $474.
The federal agency's analysis of average annual dental expenditures in the 10 states with the highest populations in 2006 also found that:
•Michigan had the highest proportion of residents with dental expenses (52.5 percent) and Texas had the least (30 percent).
•Compared to the national average of 49 percent for out-of-pocket payment for dental care, Floridians paid more (62.5 percent) and Pennsylvanians paid less (42 percent).
•Nationally, private insurers paid 43 percent of all dental expenditures.
http://www.ahrq.gov/