More adults have visited the dentist for preventive reasons than reactively this year, according to Delta Dental's "2022 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report."
The report, released Oct. 19, is based on Delta Dental-commissioned research conducted between Jan. 19 and Jan. 28 by insights and strategy consultancy Material Holdings. Research was conducted on two audiences recruited through an opt-in panel of 1,172 parents of children ages 12 and younger and 1,027 adults ages 18 and older. Read more about the methodology here.
Five report findings:
1. Twenty percent of adults believe that an oral health issue they experienced directly affected their overall health.
2. Thirty-two percent of parents believe that their child currently has "excellent oral health."
3. Fifty-one percent of adults went to the dentist for a preventive visit in 2022.
4. Forty-one percent of adults went to the dentist for a reactive visit in 2022.
5. Sixty-two percent of adults have dental insurance.