Oral Health and

How do adults in the United States view their oral health? This
fact sheet summarizes select data on self-reported oral health status,

Well-Being in the attitudes and dental care utilization among United States adults as
of 2015 based on an innovative household survey. For methods and

United States sources, visit ADA.org/statefacts. For more information on the ADA
Health Policy Institute, visit ADA.org/HPI.

Overall Condition of Mouth and Teeth

VERY GOOD
100%
GOOD 15% 12% 14% 17%
18%
27% 29%
FAIR 32% 32% 33%
80% 41%
46%
POOR 26%
37% 42%
9% 60% 44% 43%
40% 39%
31% 36% 39%
21% 42%
40% 34%
40%
28% 39% 30%
28% 30%
20% 24% 22% 21%
39% 19% 21%
15% 26%
19% 12% 16%
9% 6% 9% 11% 7% 4% 10% 11%
0%
ALL Low Middle High 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ < 1 yr 1-2 yrs 3-5 yrs 5+ yrs Never
HOUSEHOLD AGE TIME SINCE LAST DENTAL VISIT
INCOME

Life in General is Less Satisfying Due to

Condition of Mouth and Teeth
NEVER
RARELY 100% 1 in 5 low income adults say their
OCCASIONALLY mouth and teeth are in poor condition.
31% 32%
VERY OFTEN 80% 41%
45% 46%
53%
59% Life in general is less satisfying
60% due to the condition of mouth
8% 30% 31% and teeth.
40% 27% 30%
20% 27%
27%

39% 38%
44% 24%
25%
20% 29%
21% 19% 19%
16%
28%
0%
14%
7% 4% 9% 10% 8%
13%
4%
low income  oung
y
Low Middle High 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+ adults adults
ALL
HOUSEHOLD AGE
INCOME

Appearance of Mouth and Teeth Affects

“The appearance Ability to Interview for a Job
of my mouth and 100%
teeth affects my YES NO
ability to interview 80%

for a job.” 71% 72%

60% 84% 85% 80% 84%
18% 92%

40%

29% 28% 82% 20%

29% 28%
20%
low income  oung
y 0%
16% 15% 16%
8%

adults adults ALL

Low Middle High 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+
HOUSEHOLD AGE
INCOME
 Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States

How Often Have You Experienced the Following Problems in the Last 12 Months
Due to the Condition of Your Mouth and Teeth?
VERY OFTEN OCCASIONALLY RARELY NEVER

100%

80% 41%
46% 47%
60% 60%
64% 65%
74% 74% 75%
60%
85%

21% 23% 30%

40%

16% 17%
16%
16%
20% 19%
20% 12%
21% 13% 13% 14%
13%
12% 11%
9% 8%
13% 8% 7%
12% 12% 10% 4%
8% 8% 7% 5%
0% 4% 4% 3%

REDUCE DIFFICULTY
DIFFICULTY DIFFICULTY
DRY EXPERIENCE AVOID EMBARRASS- PROBLEMS SOCIAL DOING TAKE
BITING/ ANXIETY WITH
MOUTH PAIN SMILING MENT SLEEPING PARTICIPA- USUAL DAYS OFF
CHEWING SPEECH
TION ACTIVITIES

1 in 4 23% 1 in 5
adults avoid smiling due of adults feel embarrassment adults experience anxiety
to the condition of their due to the condition of their due to the condition of their
mouth and teeth. mouth and teeth. mouth and teeth.
 Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States

Problems Due to Condition of Mouth and Teeth, by Household Income

VERY OFTEN OCCASIONALLY RARELY NEVER

Low income adults are most

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
likely to report having problems
Low 14% 24% 20% 41%
due to the condition of their
DRY MOUTH Middle 12% 20% 23% 45%
High 12% 17% 20% 51% mouth and teeth.

Low 20% 22% 22% 36%

DIFFICULTY Middle 10% 20% 23% 47%
BITING/CHEWING
High 8% 16% 24% 53%

Low 13% 30% 27% 30%

EXPERIENCE Middle 6% 21% 30% 43%
PAIN
High 8% 17% 32% 44%

Low 19% 18% 17% 46%

AVOID Middle 11% 13% 17% 60% Pain is the top oral health problem
SMILING
High 9% 9% 14% 68% for low income adults.
Low 17% 18% 19% 46%
EMBARRASSMENT Middle 8% 13% 18% 60%

X X X X
High 8% 9% 16% 68%

42% 
Low 13% 17% 16% 53% of low income adults have
ANXIETY Middle 6% 12% 17% 64% difficulty biting and chewing.
High 7% 9% 15% 70%

23% 
Low 10% 16% 19% 55% of low income
PROBLEMS Middle 5% 10%
SLEEPING
17% 69% adults reduce
High 8% 9% 14% 68% participation in social activities
due to the condition of their
Low 10% 13% 17% 60%
REDUCE SOCIAL mouth and teeth.
Middle 4% 7% 12% 77%
PARTICIPATION
High 3% 8% 10% 79%

DIFFICULTY WITH
SPEECH
Low 6%
Middle 3% 8%
13%
14%
17%
76%
65% 35%  of low income
adults feel
embarrassment due to the
High 5% 5% 11% 79% condition of their mouth
and teeth.
Low 5% 11% 17% 66%
DIFFICULTY
DOING USUAL Middle 7% 14% 77%

37% 
ACTIVITIES High 5% 5% 11% 79% of low income
adults avoid
Low 3% 7% 12% 79% smiling due to the condition
TAKE DAYS OFF Middle 4% 6% 89%
of their mouth and teeth.
High 5% 4% 7% 85%
 Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States

Problems Due to Condition of Mouth and Teeth, by Age

VERY OFTEN OCCASIONALLY RARELY NEVER

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Young adults are most likely
18-34 16% 21% 21% 43%
to report having problems
DRY MOUTH
35-49 11% 19% 22% 49% due to the condition of their
50-64 13% 19% 21% 46%
65+ 11% 20% 22% 48% mouth and teeth.
18-34 15% 20% 22% 42%
DIFFICULTY 35-49 12% 17% 21% 50%
BITING/CHEWING 50-64 12% 20% 24% 44%
65+ 7% 17% 25% 52%

18-34 15% 26% 27% 32%

EXPERIENCE 35-49 9% 24% 28% 39%
PAIN 50-64 6% 21% 33% 40%
65+ 3% 13% 32% 52%

18-34 16% 17% 15% 51%

AVOID
SMILING
35-49
50-64
14%
12%
13%
12%
17%
17%
56%
60%
Pain is the top oral health problem
65+ 4% 9% 15% 72% for young adults.
18-34 16% 19% 17% 49%
35-49 12% 12% 18% 58%
EMBARRASSMENT
50-64 9% 11% 18% 61%
65+ 3% 8%
X X X
16% 73%

35% 
18-34 14% 16% 15% 55%
35-49 10% 13% 16% 61% of young adults have difficulty
ANXIETY
50-64 6% 12% 17% 64% biting and chewing.
65+ 6% 15% 77%

22% 
18-34 11% 15% 16% 58%
PROBLEMS 35-49 8% 11% 18% 63% of young
SLEEPING 50-64 7% 10% 17% 66% adults reduce
65+ 3% 8% 15% 75% participation in social activities
18-34 7% 15% 13% 66%
due to the condition of their
REDUCE SOCIAL 35-49 6% 8% 13% 72% mouth and teeth.
PARTICIPATION 50-64 5% 8% 13% 74%
65+ 4% 10% 84%

DIFFICULTY WITH
SPEECH
18-34 8%
35-49 5% 8%
50-64 3% 8%
11%
13%
13%
14%
75%
75%
67%
35%  of young
adults feel
embarrassment due to the
65+ 5% 14% 81% condition of their mouth
18-34 8% 10% 14% 68%
and teeth.
DIFFICULTY
35-49 4% 8% 13% 75%
DOING USUAL
50-64 3% 7% 15% 76%

33% 
ACTIVITIES
65+ 4% 12% 83% of young adults
18-34 7% 8% 10% 75%
avoid smiling
35-49 3% 6% 9% 82% due to the condition of their
TAKE DAYS OFF
50-64 8% 89% mouth and teeth.
65+ 4% 95%
 Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States

Attitudes Toward Oral Health and Dental Care

STRONGLY DISAGREE SOMEWHAT DISAGREE SOMEWHAT AGREE STRONGLY AGREE

100%

25%
35%
80%

61%
71%
75%
60%
34%

40% 47%

23%
24%
20%
24%
22%
13%
18% 10%
3%
0% 3% 5% 6%

I value keeping Regular visits to As I grow old I need to see It is easier to get
my mouth the dentist will I accept I will the dentist ahead in life if
healthy. help keep me lose some of twice a year. I have straight,
healthy. my teeth. bright teeth.

Attitudes are generally consistent across income levels and age groups.

97% 85% “I accept I will

feel they need
value oral
health.
to visit the lose some teeth
dentist twice
per year. with age.”

95% 82% 74% 48%

agree regular believe straight, low income high income
dental visits bright teeth
keep them
adults adults
help you get
healthy. ahead in life.
 Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States

What People Say... What People Do...

77%  of adults say they plan to visit

the dentist within the next year. 37%  of adults actually visited the
dentist within the last year.

Percentage who plan to visit the   Percentage who actually visited the  
dentist within the next year dentist within the last year
(Harris, 2015) (MEPS, 2013)

77% All Adults 37%

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

62% Low 20%

74% Middle 31%

91% High 51%

AGE

80% 18 to 34 30%

75% 35 to 49 35%

77% 50 to 64 43%

76% 65 or older 42%

SOURCE OF DENTAL BENEFITS

91% Private 51%

86% Medicaid 20%

No dental
58% 23%
coverage
 Oral Health and Well-Being in the United States

Reasons for Not Visiting the Dentist More Frequently,

Among Those Without a Visit in the Last 12 Months
COST

INCONVENIENT

$
AFRAID OF TROUBLE
LOCATION OR
DENTIST FINDING A
TIME NO NO
DENTIST
ORIGINAL PERCEIVED
TEETH NO
59% NEED
REASON
OTHER
X
22% 19% 15% 12% 10% 9% 10%
Household Income
100%

$
80%
65%
61%
60%
47%

40%
Cost is the 23% 23%
21% 22%
top reason 20%
20%
10% 10%
18%
10%
13%
10% 11%
20%
16%
11%
19%
14%
8% 9%
regardless of 6% 7%

0%
income, age, LOW MIDDLE HIGH
or source Age
of dental 100%
benefits.
80%
64%
61% 60%
60%
49%

40% 35%
31%
27%
24% 23%
21% 19%
20% 13% 13% 14% 12%
12% 10% 11% 9% 12% 12% 12%
8% 8% 8% 6% 9% 11% 8% 9%
3% 4%
0%
18-34 35-49 50-64 65+

Source of Dental Benefits

Trouble finding
a dentist is a 100%

close second 80%

70%
among adults
60%
with Medicaid 47%
50%
43%
dental benefits. 40% 35% 33%
41%
32% 30%
28% 28%
24%
20% 21% 18%
20% 16% 14% 16% 13% 13%
14% 12% 12% 13% 14%
7% 9% 8% 9% 8% 6% 10%

0%
PRIVATE MEDICAID OTHER NONE