How many people visit the dentist?
Despite the importance of good oral health, many people in the United States do not visit the dentist at least once a year, as is recommended by health experts. Yearly dental visits are more common among children with around 87 percent of those aged 2 to 17 years in the United States visiting a dentist in the past year in 2019. This was a substantial increase from around 73 percent in the year 1997. Among adults aged 18 to 64 years, only around 66 percent reported visiting a dentist in the past year in 2019. Women are more likely than men to visit the dentist with 69 percent of women visiting the dentist in 2019. Adults in the United States with lower income levels are significantly less likely to visit the dentist, a reflection of the high cost of dental care in the country.The cost of dental care
In 2019, the total expenditure on dental services in the United States reached 143 billion U.S. dollars. Private health insurance covers the highest share of spending for dental services in the United States, but out-of-pocket spending is a close second. In 2020, people in the U.S. spent around 53 billion U.S. dollars out of pocket to cover dental services. Considering the high out-of-pocket costs of dental services, it is no surprise that many people who need dental care do not receive it because of the cost. In 2019, it was estimated that almost 15 percent of people in the United States who needed dental care did not receive it because of the cost. Middle-aged adults account for the largest share of these people. While only four percent of those under the age of 18 who needed dental care in 2019 didn’t receive it because of cost, around 20 percent of those aged 45 to 64 years abstained from needed dental care because they could not afford it.
