Delta Dental releases its annual Preventive Dental Care Study, the largest and longest-running study of its kind
New Delta Dental research highlights preventive dental care as key to achieving optimal health
Washington, D.C. — December 2, 2024 — New research from Delta Dental underscores the value of preventive dental care and the essential role it can play in whole-person health: decreasing the occurrence of serious oral disease, improving outcomes, addressing disparities, and lowering health care costs.
Now in its 14th year, the Preventive Dental Care Study uses oral health care measures to assess whether commercially insured members are getting evidence-based recommended preventive dental care.
“As the oral health leader, we believe early intervention and prevention are integral to maintaining the oral and overall health of our communities,” said Joseph Dill, DDS, MBA, Chief Dental Officer, Delta Dental Plans Association and Head of Dental Science, Delta Dental Institute. “This annual study serves as a crucial resource for evaluating the current state of preventive care, enabling us to make informed, data-driven decisions that best serve our members.”
Each year, Delta Dental analyzes the preventive dental care services used by Delta Dental members across the country (in an anonymized aggregate form) and prepares the annual study to identify trends in preventive and diagnostic care delivery that can help target potential oral health interventions, as well as other areas for further research. Specifically, this data helps identify trends in preventive treatment delivery for the commercially insured and identifies individuals at the highest risk of developing oral disease.
This year, Delta Dental introduced the “Established Dental Home” measure to capture the percentage of Delta Dental members of all ages who had an oral evaluation in the preceding 12-month period. The study found that 55% of all Delta Dental members have an established dental home – a critical element of providing patient-centered care and improving oral and overall health.
Key insights from the study
Children:
- Preventive treatment for children is less common than recommended: Preventive treatment tends to decline as school-aged children get older, with more children at age 12 obtaining preventive care than those at age 15. Data continues to show most children ages 1-18 who are at risk for dental decay are not receiving recommended fluoride and sealant treatments.
- Early dental visits are still uncommon: Many children do not see the dentist for the first time until age 3, even though it is recommended to start preventive dental check-ups by age 1.
- Fluoride treatments for children continue to rise: There has been a significant increase in the number of children receiving the recommended two or more fluoride treatments.
Adults:
- Adult oral evaluations remain prevalent: 77% of at-risk adults for caries, also known as tooth decay, have had at least one oral evaluation.
- Adult risk for dental caries is gradually decreasing: Encouragingly, the percentage of adults aged 30+ who are at higher risk for tooth decay is declining, indicating an overall improvement in health.
Research:
- Documentation gaps among dentists persist: There are gaps in care that could help target research more effectively. Most dentists are not reporting caries risk documentation.
About the Survey
The 2023 Preventive Dental Care Study uses de-identified, aggregate Delta Dental commercial plan data (excluding Medicaid/Medicare Advantage plans) that is representative of all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico from 2010 – 2023. Data includes only Delta Dental commercial claims and is not necessarily representative of all commercial dental insurance plans.
About the Delta Dental Institute
The Delta Dental Institute is dedicated to advancing oral health for all Americans in partnership with Delta Dental companies and dedicated partners across the country. With expertise rooted in Delta Dental's rich history of oral health leadership, we engage in and support oral health research, community outreach, and advocacy, striving to ensure that everyone understands the importance of oral health to overall health and has access to the care they need. Visit deltadentalinstitute.com for more information.
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.