Dental Care Utilization Among Adults Aged 18-64: United States, 2019 and 2020.

Oral health is an essential component of overall health and well-being (1,2). Along with good oral hygiene, an important factor of oral health is regular dental care (3). However, about 35% of adults aged 18 and over did not have a dental visit in 2019 (4), and predictors such as age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status were associated with delayed dental care among adults in the United States (5). In 2020, many dental practices limited their hours and services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (6,7). This report uses data from the 2019 and 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to describe recent changes in the prevalence of dental visits among adults aged 18-64. 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.