Rochester, N.Y., is the top-paying metropolitan area for orthodontists, with a mean annual wage of $229,560, according to compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The average out-of-pocket cost to visit a dentist in Alaska is $153.74, the highest of any state, according to data from personal finance website WalletHub.

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif., is the top paying metropolitan area for dental assistants, with an annual mean wage of $62,830, according to compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif., is the top-paying metropolitan area for dental hygienists, with an annual mean wage of $131,200, according to compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Spokane-Spokane Valley, Wash., is the top paying metropolitan area for general dentists, with an annual mean wage of $290,860, according to compensation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Offices of physicians are the top-paying practice setting for orthodontists in the U.S., according to salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Dentists have an average salary of $145,300 in West Virginia, the lowest-ranked state for dentists to live and work in. 

Dentists have an average salary of $118,030 in Alaska, the top-ranked state for dentists to live and work in. 

West Virginia was ranked as the worst state for dentists to live and work in by career website Zippia.

Alaska was ranked as the best state for dentists to live and work in for the second year in a row by career website Zippia.

The average amount of dental education debt is less than the average amount of education debt, according to data from the American Dental Education Association.

Texas A&M University School of Dentistry in Dallas has a first-year tuition of $23,112 for residents, the lowest of any U.S. dental school, and has a 7.2 percent acceptance rate.

Most dental professionals earn less than the average amount of dental education debt in the U.S., according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Dental Education Association.

Loans continue to be the main source of debt for dental education, according to data from the American Dental Education Association.

The University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco has a first-year tuition of $119,360 for both residents and nonresidents, the highest of any U.S. dental school, and has a 7.03 percent acceptance rate.

The average amount of dental school debt has declined in recent years to $286,200, according to data from the American Dental Education Association. 

Pomona, Calif.-based Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine has a 2.5 percent acceptance rate — the lowest among U.S. dental schools — according to academic consulting website BeMo.  

Jackson-based University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry has a 29.4 percent acceptance rate — the highest among U.S. dental schools — according to academic consulting website BeMo.  

The mean hourly wage for oral and maxillofacial surgeons across the U.S. is $148.76, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is significantly higher than the minimum wage in each state.

Anthem was ranked as the best dental insurer for out-of-network coverage, while Humana was named the best for preventive care in Forbes' list of best insurance companies in 2023.