Regional Variation in Private Dental Coverage and Care Among Dentate Adults Aged 18-64 in the United States, 2014-2017.

Routine dental care can promote oral health (1,2), and those with private dental insurance are more likely to visit a dentist than those with other types of dental coverage or no coverage (3,4). Geographical variation in dental coverage and care among adults under age 65 exists (5,6), as does the availability of dental health professionals (7). This report examines regional variation in dental coverage among dentate adults (i.e., adults who have not lost all permanent teeth) aged 18-64 who had private health insurance in the past year, their utilization of dental care, and unmet dental needs due to cost in the past year. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.