Statistics

"84.9% of children aged 2-17 years had a dental visit in the past year." CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, 2017

"64% of adults aged 18-64 had a dental visit in the past year." CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, 2017

"31.6% of adults aged 20-44 have untreated dental caries." CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, 2013-2017

"Annual U.S. spending on dental care is projected to reach $192 billion by 2026." Health Affairs, 2018

"Dental cavities are the most common chronic disease for children in the United States." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015

"25% of American adults who have attained 65 years of age have lost all their teeth." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015

"Untreated oral health problems contribute to an increased risk for serious medical conditions such as diabetes, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and poor birth outcomes." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015

"According to a report by the Surgeon General of the United States, students miss more than 51,000,000 hours of school and employed adults lose more than 164,000,000 hours of work each year due to dental diseases and dental visits." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015

"More than 47,000,000 people live in a dental Health Professional Shortage Area where the number of dentists for the population size is inadequate and people may face significant challenges accessing oral health care." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015

"More than 1 in 4 Americans do not have dental health insurance which is far greater than the number of individuals who lack general health insurance." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015

"The Medicare program and the Department of Veterans Affairs do not provide dental coverage to the majority of their beneficiaries, and States can elect whether to provide dental coverage to adults under the Medicaid program." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015

"A minority of practicing dentists in the United States provide care to individuals enrolled in Medicaid, and a very small percentage of dentists devote a substantial part of their practice towards caring for individuals who are underserved." Comprehensive Dental Reform Act, 2015