A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week found that Kentucky is losing its bite the fastest. In the survey, 42.3 percent of adults over 65 reported having lost all of their natural teeth.

West Virginia was right behind Kentucky, with 41.9 percent of adults having lost all of their natural teeth.  

Older adults in California and Hawaii were least likely to lose all their teeth, with only 13 percent of repondents in each state reporting full tooth loss.

In the CDC survey, nearly 49,000 adults over 65 from across the country reported how many teeth they had lost because of tooth decay or gum disease.

Blacks and smokers were more likely to lose their teeth, as well as those with less than a high school education and those with an income level below $15,000.

Ann Carnes, a dentist in Elizabethtown, Ky., said people in rural areas of the state where oral hygiene education is lacking have been taught to pull a tooth instead of getting the problem fixed.

But she said she saw more tooth loss when she first began practicing in 1987.

Dentist William Clagett attributes the high percentage to the large number of smokers in the state. But he said Kentucky is trying to improve dental health by being a leader in fluoridation of drinking water.

ya'll dont say?! "Blue" states have less toothless people than say "Red" states? weeeelll doggies!![bd]

A ripe market for my new late night TV "Do it yourself dentistry kits".

[Mr. Burns] Excellent [/Mr. Burns]

I always thought the "toothbrush" was invented in W.Va. [BD]

(nothing personal to our W.Va bros)