New Delta Dental report reveals gap in understanding the link between oral health and medical conditions

CHICAGO — May 20, 2025 — Delta Dental released its 2025 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report, a nationwide analysis of consumer opinions and behaviors relating to oral health. Now in its fifth year, Delta Dental commissioned the research of 2,000 U.S. adults and parents of children 12 and under.

The report reveals that the state of U.S. oral health is generally positive, but areas for improvement remain. While adults maintain near-universal awareness of the relationship between oral health and overall wellness, there is a reduced understanding of the direct correlation between oral health and specific health conditions such as heart disease, respiratory illness, and high blood pressure compared to last year.

Further, the report finds that intentions for good oral hygiene remain strong, but dental visit anxiety and dips in at-home oral health care have impacted some adults and children.

“Oral health is a cornerstone of overall wellness, and while it is encouraging to see that most adults recognize this important connection, greater efforts are needed to demonstrate its critical role in preventing and managing systemic health conditions,” said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO, Delta Dental Plans Association. “As the nation’s leading dental benefits provider, we are committed to ensuring continued dialogue and supporting access to care so that everyone can prioritize and safeguard their oral and overall health.”

Below are additional key findings from the 2025 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report:

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Dental anxiety is a notable barrier to care

  • More than 1 in 5 (21%) adults have avoided dental care due to anxiety, and 1 in 7 (14%) parents have skipped taking their children to the dentist for the same reason.
  • Fear of pain or discomfort was the top reported reason among adults (59%) and children (72%) who have experienced dental visit anxiety.

Closing the gap in prenatal oral health care

  • A majority of women (54%) who are or have been pregnant are likely to prioritize dental visits, as they believe it is as important as their annual physical.
  • One third (33%) of adults understand that pregnant individuals are at greater risk for gum disease, while over 1 in 4 (26%) recognize this may be associated with adverse outcomes such as pre-term birth and low birth weight.

Preventive dental visits are prioritized

  • The frequency of preventive visits among adults who made a trip to the dentist in 2024 remained steady (84%) compared to 2023 (83%).
  • Notably, there is a significant corresponding drop in unexpected visits among adults, decreasing from 36% in 2023 to 22% in 2024.
  • Cosmetic visits experienced a sharp decline from 12% in 2023 to 4% in 2024.
     

To read the 2025 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report and learn more about the report’s methodology and findings, click here.

About the report

Delta Dental Plans Association commissioned a third-party market research firm, Material Holdings, LLC, to undertake research that formed the basis for this report. Material conducted its research between January 9 and January 23, 2025, using an email invitation and online surveys of two audiences recruited through an opt-in panel:

  • 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+
  • 1,000 parents of children ages 12 and under

Geographic distribution quotas were set to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. population of adults and parents with children ages 12 and under. Research in this report has a margin of error of +/- 3%.

 

About Delta Dental Plans Association

Based in Chicago, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental benefits provider and offers the country's largest dental network with approximately 152,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies and their foundations invested nearly $2 billion to improve the oral and overall health of our communities.

 

Visit deltadental.com for information on individual dental insurance plans and group dental insurance plans.