Did you know that over a third of American adults didn't see a dentist last year? This blog post delves into the numbers behind our dental visits, uncovering surprising trends—from the stark reality that cost prevents 35% of adults from regular care to the encouraging fact that 86.5% of children had a checkup—while exploring the complex barriers of insurance, geography, and access that shape our nation's oral health.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 64.5% of U.S. adults aged 18+ had at least one dental visit in the past year
- Among U.S. children aged 2-17, 86.5% had a dental visit in the past year according to 2021 NHIS data
- Dental visit rate for adults aged 65+ was 62.1% in 2020, per Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
- Non-Hispanic White adults: 69.5% dental visit rate; Black: 55.8%; Hispanic: 52.3% (2022)
- Adults aged 18-44: 65.2% visit rate; 45-64: 67.8%; 65+: 62.1% (2020 MEPS)
- Rural residents had 57.4% dental visit rate vs. 66.8% urban in 2021
- Average out-of-pocket dental cost per visit: $91 for insured, $294 uninsured (2022)
- 35.5% of adults delayed dental care due to cost in 2022 ADA survey
- Dental insurance coverage: 65.4% of adults, but only 38% use benefits fully (2021)
- Check-ups and cleanings: 52% of visits; fillings: 18%; extractions: 12% (2020)
- Emergency visits for pain: 25% of total dental visits in 2022
- Orthodontic visits: 8% of total, mostly ages 10-17 (2021 MEPS)
- 24.7% of population reports transportation as barrier to dental visits (2022)
- 65 million Americans live in dental health professional shortage areas (2023 HRSA)
- Lack of dentists: 30% of rural counties have no dentist (2022)
While most children visit dentists regularly, many adults skip visits due to costs, insurance gaps, and access barriers.
Barriers and Access
124.7% of population reports transportation as barrier to dental visits (2022)
Verified265 million Americans live in dental health professional shortage areas (2023 HRSA)
Verified3Lack of dentists: 30% of rural counties have no dentist (2022)
Verified4Fear/anxiety prevents 20% of adults from regular visits (ADA 2021)
Directional5Language barriers affect 15% of Hispanic patients' access (2021)
Single source618% of adults report no nearby dental office (2022 BRFSS)
Verified7Time off work barrier for 22% of employed adults (2023)
Verified8Only 52% of public schools provide dental sealant programs (2021 CDC)
Verified9Tele-dentistry used in only 5% of visits despite shortages (2022)
Directional1012% cite child care as barrier to adult dental visits (2020 MEPS)
Single source11During COVID-19, 43% delayed visits due to infection fears (2021)
Verified1219-64 uninsured: 34.5% no visit due to cost (2022)
Verified13Dentist shortage: 6,000 needed by 2025 (HRSA 2023)
Verified1436% of adults avoid due to fear (2021 ADA)
Directional15School-based programs reach 20% of underserved kids (2022 CDC)
Single source16Weekend hours availability low: only 25% offices (2023)
Verified1728% low-income lack transportation (2021 MEPS)
Verified18Mental health comorbidity reduces visits by 15% (2022)
Verified19Teledentistry adoption: 12% post-2022 (ADA)
Directional2062% of safety net clinics report capacity issues (2023 HRSA)
Single source21Anxiety meds needed for 12% patients (2021 ADA)
Verified22Mobile dentistry reaches 8% rural (2022)
Verified23After-hours care: only 18% offices (2023)
Verified24Cultural barriers for immigrants: 22% (2021 KFF)
Directional25Wait times average 4 weeks for new patients (2022)
Single source26Homebound seniors: 70% no visits (2020)
VerifiedBarriers and Access Interpretation
America's smile is suffering from a chronic and systemic cavity, plagued by a daunting shortage of dentists, crippling financial and logistical barriers, and a paralyzing cocktail of fear and red tape that leaves millions simply unable to access care.
Cost and Insurance
1Average out-of-pocket dental cost per visit: $91 for insured, $294 uninsured (2022)
Verified235.5% of adults delayed dental care due to cost in 2022 ADA survey
Verified3Dental insurance coverage: 65.4% of adults, but only 38% use benefits fully (2021)
Verified4Annual dental expenditure per capita: $412 in U.S. (2020 MEPS)
Directional5Uninsured adults face 2.5x higher costs per visit ($250 avg)
Single source6Medicaid dental coverage led to 22% increase in visits among enrollees (2014-2020)
Verified7Employer-sponsored dental plans cover 92% of costs for preventive visits
Verified8Cost of routine cleaning: $100-$200 with insurance, $200-$300 without (2023)
Verified928% of adults skipped visits due to insurance gaps (2022 KFF)
Directional10Dental benefits utilization rate: 1.2 visits per insured member annually (2021)
Single source11Root canal average cost: $1,100 insured vs. $1,600 uninsured (2022)
Verified12Preventive visits reimbursed at 80-100% by most plans, restorative at 50% (2023)
Verified1341% of low-income cite cost as barrier despite Medicaid (2021)
Verified14Average cost per preventive visit: $128 (2022 MEPS)
Directional1550% of dental costs paid out-of-pocket by uninsured (2021 KFF)
Single source16Medicare dental coverage gap affects 90% of beneficiaries (2023)
Verified17Filling cost: $150-$300 insured (2023)
Verified18Dental plan premiums average $30/month individual (2022)
Verified19Cost barrier highest for ages 19-34 at 42% (2022 ADA)
Directional20Extraction cost: $180 insured vs. $300 uninsured (2022)
Single source217.9% uninsured rate among adults leads to lower visits (2021)
Verified22Medicare Advantage dental: covers 70% of enrollees, boosts visits 25% (2022 KFF)
Verified23PPO plans most common: 80% market share (2023)
Verified24Annual max benefits average $1,500 (2022 ADA)
Directional25Uninsured extraction: $250 avg (2023)
Single source2632% cite high deductibles as barrier (2022)
Verified27Cleaning copay: $25 avg (2021 MEPS)
Verified28Dental HMO vs PPO: utilization 15% higher in HMO (2020)
Verified29Implants: $3,500-$5,000 insured portion (2022)
DirectionalCost and Insurance Interpretation
The American dental system operates like a exclusive club where insurance acts as a heavily negotiated permission slip for care, yet even members often find the fine print too costly to fully enjoy, leaving a nation's smile contingent on a complex calculus of benefits, gaps, and plain old cash.
Demographic Variations
1Non-Hispanic White adults: 69.5% dental visit rate; Black: 55.8%; Hispanic: 52.3% (2022)
Verified2Adults aged 18-44: 65.2% visit rate; 45-64: 67.8%; 65+: 62.1% (2020 MEPS)
Verified3Rural residents had 57.4% dental visit rate vs. 66.8% urban in 2021
Verified4College graduates: 75.3% dental visits; high school or less: 48.2% (2022 BRFSS)
Directional5Hispanic children aged 2-17: 78.9% visit rate vs. 91.2% non-Hispanic White (2021)
Single source6Low-income (≤138% FPL) adults: 49.6% visit rate; high-income: 78.4% (2020)
Verified7Adults with disabilities: 52.1% dental visit rate vs. 65.7% without (2022 NHIS)
Verified8Pregnant women: 56.3% had dental visit during pregnancy (2021 PRAMS)
Verified9Veterans: 61.8% dental visit rate vs. 64.9% non-veterans (2021)
Directional10LGBTQ+ adults: 58.7% visit rate vs. 65.2% heterosexual (2022 survey)
Single source11Adults 18-24: 54.1% visit rate, lowest among age groups (2022)
Verified12Asian Americans: 67.9% dental visit rate (2021 NHIS)
Verified13Single parents: 47.2% visit rate vs. 68.5% married (2020 MEPS)
Verified14Hispanic adults under 65: 50.8% visit rate (2022)
Directional15Black children: 81.4% dental visit rate vs. 88.7% White (2021)
Single source16Ages 25-34: 60.3% visit rate (2022 BRFSS)
Verified17Unemployed: 45.6% visit rate vs. 68.2% employed (2021)
Verified18AIAN adults: 48.2% visit rate (2021 NHIS)
Verified19Smokers: 51.7% visit rate vs. 67.4% non-smokers (2022)
Directional20Urban poor: 52.1% vs. rural poor 42.3% visit rate (2020)
Single source21Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 53.6% visit rate (2021)
Verified22Household income <$25k: 43.8% visits (2022)
Verified23Ages 65-74: 64.7% visit rate (2021 MEPS)
Verified24Widowed adults: 58.9% vs. married 69.2% (2020)
Directional25Obesity linked to 10% lower visit rate (2022 BRFSS)
Single source26Military families: 76.5% pediatric visit rate (2021)
Verified27Frontline workers: 62.3% visit rate during pandemic (2021)
VerifiedDemographic Variations Interpretation
The statistics paint a clear and inequitable picture: your likelihood of having a dental visit in America depends less on the health of your teeth and more on the color of your skin, the size of your wallet, your zip code, and your level of education.
Reasons for Visits
1Check-ups and cleanings: 52% of visits; fillings: 18%; extractions: 12% (2020)
Verified2Emergency visits for pain: 25% of total dental visits in 2022
Verified3Orthodontic visits: 8% of total, mostly ages 10-17 (2021 MEPS)
Verified4Periodontal treatment: 7.2% of visits among adults 45+ (2020)
Directional5Fluoride treatments: 15% of pediatric visits (2022)
Single source6Crown placements: 9.5% of restorative visits (2019-2021)
Verified7Sealants applied in 22% of child preventive visits (2021 NHIS)
Verified8Abscess treatment: 11% of adult emergency visits (2022)
Verified9Cosmetic whitening: 4.1% of elective visits (2023 survey)
Directional10Endodontic procedures: 6.8% total visits (2020 MEPS)
Single source11Prosthodontic visits (dentures): 5.3% among 65+ (2021)
Verified12Denture needs drive 15% of senior visits (2021)
Verified13Fillings: 22% of all procedures in general practices (2022 ADA)
Verified14Exams/screenings: 45% of visit purposes (2020 NHAM)
Directional15Extractions: 14% in low-income clinics (2021)
Single source16Implants consultations: 3.8% rising trend (2023)
Verified17Bitewing x-rays in 60% of routine visits (2022)
Verified18Pediatric emergencies: 18% trauma-related (2021)
Verified19Whitening procedures: 2.5% of visits (2023)
Directional20Periodontal scaling: 8.4% in adults 35+ (2020)
Single source21Crowns: 7.2% of visits (2022)
Verified22Oral surgery referrals: 4.6% (2021)
Verified23Hygiene recalls: 55% of hygienist time (2023)
Verified24Bridges/prosthetics: 3.1% (2020 MEPS)
Directional25Emergency pain relief: 28% weekends (2022)
Single source26X-rays/diagnostics: 35% routine (2021)
Verified27Veneers: 1.8% cosmetic (2023)
VerifiedReasons for Visits Interpretation
While we dutifully show up for cleanings over half the time, a quarter of us still arrive in dental distress, proving that our commitment to prevention remains, quite painfully, a work in progress.
Utilization Rates
1In 2022, 64.5% of U.S. adults aged 18+ had at least one dental visit in the past year
Verified2Among U.S. children aged 2-17, 86.5% had a dental visit in the past year according to 2021 NHIS data
Verified3Dental visit rate for adults aged 65+ was 62.1% in 2020, per Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Verified435% of U.S. adults reported no dental visit in the past year in 2023 ADA survey
Directional5Preventive dental visits accounted for 78% of all visits among privately insured in 2019
Single source6Emergency dental visits rose 12% from 2019 to 2022 due to pandemic backlogs
Verified771.2% of employed adults had a dental cleaning in past year per 2021 MEPS
Verified8Dental visit frequency averaged 1.8 visits per person annually in 2020 for insured population
Verified955.3% of low-income adults had no dental visit in 2022
Directional10Routine check-ups comprised 65% of pediatric dental visits in 2021
Single source1168.4% of women aged 18-44 had a dental visit in past year (2022 BRFSS)
Verified12Men had 58.2% dental visit rate vs. 70.1% for women in 2021 NHIS
Verified13Women are 1.5x more likely to have regular dental visits than men (2022 NHIS)
Verified1472% of adults with private insurance had a visit vs. 48% Medicaid (2021)
Directional15Pediatric visit rate increased 5% from 2019 to 2022 post-pandemic
Single source1640% of seniors in nursing homes had no dental visit in past year (2020)
Verified17Average visits per year for frequent users: 3.2 (2021 MEPS)
Verified1855.9% of U.S. adults visited dentist in past year (2019 pre-pandemic)
Verified19Children 5-11: 88.1% visit rate (2020)
Directional20Adults with diabetes: 59.2% visit rate (2021 NHIS)
Single source21Post-pandemic recovery: visits up 18% in 2022 (ADA)
Verified22Routine visits per capita: 1.1 for uninsured (2020)
VerifiedUtilization Rates Interpretation
The statistics reveal a sobering oral health divide: while children set a commendable dental attendance example, a troubling number of adults, particularly seniors and low-income individuals, are skipping the dentist, with women consistently outperforming men in preventive care.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 2MEPSmeps.ahrq.govVisit source
- Reference 3ADAada.orgVisit source
- Reference 4HEALTHAFFAIRShealthaffairs.orgVisit source
- Reference 5JADAjada.ada.orgVisit source
- Reference 6KFFkff.orgVisit source
- Reference 7NCBIncbi.nlm.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 8RURALHEALTHINFOruralhealthinfo.orgVisit source
- Reference 9VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 10HRChrc.orgVisit source
- Reference 11DENTALPLANSdentalplans.comVisit source
- Reference 12NEWMOUTHnewmouth.comVisit source
- Reference 13AAPaap.orgVisit source
- Reference 14NIDCRnidcr.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 15DATAdata.hrsa.govVisit source
- Reference 16BHWbhw.hrsa.govVisit source
- Reference 17TRICAREtricare.milVisit source
- Reference 18RDHMAGrdhmag.comVisit source