Report Finds Adults Understand the Importance of Preventative Oral Health Care

By Dr. Jason Grinter on October 25, 2023 in General oral health

October is National Dental Hygiene Month. Recent research commissioned by Delta Dental shares additional findings from its 2023 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report that show U.S. adults keep up with their oral hygiene to avoid unforeseen costs and prevent dental issues such as cavities and gum disease.

The report also finds that adults understand the importance of preventive oral health care for maintaining good oral health and avoiding unexpected care. Further, adults and children continue to follow recommended oral health guidelines at home to improve their overall health and wellness. Oral health is a vital component of everyone's overall health and well-being. Practicing good dental hygiene at home is key to maintaining one's oral health. Highlight's from this year's report include: 

Adults and children follow oral care guidelines

• The report finds that 64% of adults replace their toothbrush at least every three months, as recommended by the American Dental Association. This represents a 10% increase compared to 2022.
• More than 7 in 10 adults (79%) and children (73%) brush their teeth at least twice a day.
• However, children do a better job flossing once a day (55%) compared to adults (31%).

Prevention and personal appearance drive dental visits

• While prevention is the main reason for dental visits among adults (78%) and children (85%), personal appearance (16%) has become a motivator for adults.
• In fact, adults are citing more personal appearance reasons for flossing than in 2022, such as freshening their breath (26%) and keeping teeth as white as possible (20%).

To read the full 2023 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report and learn more about the report’s methodology and findings, click here.

About the research

The 2023 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report is based upon Delta Dental Plans Association-commissioned research conducted between January 6 and January 23, 2023, by Material Holdings, LLC, a global insights and strategy consultancy, using an email invitation and online surveys of two audiences recruited through an opt-in panel of 1,000 nationally representative Americans ages 18+ and 1,253 parents of children ages 12 and under.

Quotas were set to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. population of adults and parents with children 12 and under. The report has a margin of error of +/- 3%.