More than 85% of U.S. adults believe that dental insurance is important to protecting both their oral and overall health, according to a report from Delta Dental Plans Association.
The "2024 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report" found that 86% of U.S. adults felt dental insurance is essential, a slight increase from 2023's 82%.
Here are four additional takeaways from the report:
- Nearly 90% of respondents said having dental insurance makes them less worried about dental emergencies.
- The study found 85% of adults believe dental insurance helps them save money long-term, 84% feel it is worth the cost and 80% believe it provides pre-negotiated discounts with their dentists.
- Having dental insurance leads to an increase in preventive-care visits, as 83% of individuals with dental coverage were likely to visit a dentist for preventive care, compared with 58% of those without insurance.
- Nine percent of adults said that they would like to have teledentistry services included in their dental plan, with 15% of Gen Z respondents and 12% of Millennials wanting the additional service.
The report collected data from 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults aged 18 and over and 1,000 parents of children ages 12 and under. Delta Dental Plans Association commissioned a third-party firm to conduct the research.