Oral health is an essential component of overall health.49 Good oral health requires both self-care and professional care. Regular dental visits provide an opportunity for prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions. Routine dental visits are recommended beginning at 1 year of age.50 However, dental caries (i.e., cavities) continue to be one of the most common diseases of childhood and remain a significant problem among children in some racial and ethnic groups and among children in poverty.51, 52
Indicator HC4.A: Percentage of children ages 5–17 with a dental visit in the past year by age and poverty status, 2009–2019
NOTE: Before 2019, children were identified as having a dental visit in the past year by asking parents, "About how long has it been since [child's name] last saw a dentist?" Parents were directed to include all types of dentists, such as orthodontists, oral surgeons, and all other dental specialists, as well as dental hygienists. Starting in 2019, children are identified as having a dental visit in the past year by asking parents, "About how long has it been since [child's name] last had a dental examination or cleaning?" Parents are directed to include cleanings from all types of dental care providers, such as dentists, orthodontists, oral surgeons, dental hygienists, and all other specialists. In 2019, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) questionnaire was redesigned. Although the wording of the question identifying dental visits in the past year changed slightly in 2019, this change did not impact the measurement of dental visits. However, due to other changes to weighting and design methodology starting with the 2019 NHIS, data for 2019 are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years. For more information on the 2019 NHIS redesign, see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/EReval202009-508.pdf.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.
Indicator HC4.B: Percentage of children ages 5–17 with untreated dental caries (cavities) by age and poverty status, selected years 1999–2004 through 2017–2018
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.
HC4A HTML Table | HC4B HTML Table
49 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Oral Health. (2019). Children's oral health [Website]. http://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/children_adults/child.htm
50 Krol, D. M., & Section on Oral Health Executive Committee, 2012–2013. (2014). Maintaining and improving the oral health of young children. Pediatrics, 134(6), 1224–1229. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/ pediatrics/134/6/1224.full.pdf
51 Satcher, D., & Nottingham, J. H. (2017). Revisiting oral health in America: A report of the surgeon general. American Journal of Public Health, 107(S1), S32–S33.
52 Dye, B. A., Thornton-Evans, G., Li, X., & Iafolla, T. J. (2015). Dental caries and sealant prevalence in children and adolescents in the United States, 2011–2012 (NCHS Data Brief No. 191). National Center for Health Statistics.