In the U.S., approximately 27% of adults, or about 72 million people, do not have dental insurance. This lack of coverage may contribute to worsening overall health, according to a report released by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
Of those who are currently uninsured, 12% lost coverage within the past year, according to the report.
“These findings reinforce the fact that oral health care is too expensive and out of reach for too many families in America,” Melissa Burroughs, senior director of public policy at the CareQuest Institute, said in a press release dated May 21.
The report analyzed data from the “State of Oral Health Equity in America” survey, a nationally representative study of U.S. adults' oral health attitudes and behaviors. Conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago from March to May 2024, the survey gathered insights from more than 9,000 participants.
Adults ages 18 to 29 and those 60 and older were more likely to lack dental insurance compared to middle-aged adults. Lack of coverage was also more common among individuals with lower education and income levels. By contrast, adults with higher education or income reported significantly lower rates of being uninsured, according to the report.
There was little difference in dental insurance status by gender, but Hispanic adults were the most likely to be uninsured (30%), while Asian/Pacific Islander adults were the least likely (19%). Among adults with dental insurance, nearly a quarter (24%) gained coverage within the past year, with younger and lower-income individuals more likely to have obtained it recently.
However, 12% of adults without current dental insurance reported losing it in the past year, with higher loss rates among younger adults and those with less education. Notably, about one-third of Medicare and Medicaid recipients lack dental insurance, and over 80% of adults without health insurance also go without dental coverage, according to the report.
“It’s time for policy solutions that address our nation’s oral health, starting by preserving Medicaid adult dental coverage,” Burroughs said in the release.
