Oral Health

Oral health is an essential component of overall health.1 Good oral health requires both self-care and professional care. Routine dental visits are recommended beginning at 1 year of age.2 Dental caries (i.e., cavities) continue to be one of the most common childhood diseases and are a significant problem among children in some racial and ethnic groups and among children in poverty.3, 4 Untreated dental caries are associated with tooth loss and can cause pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning.5, 6

Indicator HC4.A Percentage of children ages 5–17 who visited the dentist in the past year by age and poverty status, 2013–2023
Indicator HC4.A: Percentage of children ages 5–17 who visited the dentist in the past year by age and poverty status, 2013–2023

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 dental 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 onward are not strictly comparable with data for earlier years. Questions about dental care are on a rotating core scheduled to appear on the questionnaire for 2 consecutive years every 3 years starting in 2019. For more information on the 2019 NHIS redesign, see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/about/2019-questionnaire-redesign.html.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey.

  • In 2023, 90% of children ages 5–17 had visited the dentist in the past year.
  • Among children ages 5–11, the percentage who had visited the dentist in the past year did not significantly change from 2013 to 2023 for children at any family income level.
  • Among children ages 12–17, the percentage who had visited the dentist in the past year did not significantly change from 2013 to 2023 for those with family incomes at 100%–199% of the poverty threshold or those with family incomes at or above 200% of the poverty threshold. For those with family incomes below the poverty threshold, the percentage who had visited the dentist in the past year increased from 77% in 2013 to 87% in 2019 and then did not significantly change from 2019 to 2023 (80%).
  • In 2023, children ages 5–11 with family incomes at or above 200% of the poverty threshold were the most likely to have visited the dentist in the past year (93%), followed by those with family incomes at 100%–199% of the poverty threshold (88%) and those with family incomes below the poverty threshold (81%).
  • In 2023, children ages 12–17 with family incomes at or above 200% of the poverty threshold were more likely to have visited the dentist in the past year (92%) than were those with family incomes at 100%–199% of the poverty threshold (84%) and those with family incomes below the poverty threshold (80%). There was no significant difference between those with family incomes below the poverty threshold and those with family incomes at 100%–199% of the poverty threshold.

Indicator HC4.B Percentage of children ages 5–17 with untreated dental caries (cavities) by age and poverty status, 1999–2004 through 2017–March 2020
Indicator HC4.B: Percentage of children ages 5–17 with untreated dental caries (cavities) by age and poverty status, 1999–2004 through 2017–March 2020

NOTE: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey program suspended field operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, data collection for the 2019–2020 cycle was not completed. Therefore, data collected from 2019 to March 2020 were combined with data from the 2017–2018 cycle to create a 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic file. This file covers 3.2 years of data collection. For more information, see https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/continuousnhanes/overviewbrief.aspx?Cycle=2017-2020.

SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

  • The percentage of children ages 5–11 who had untreated dental caries (i.e., cavities) decreased from 27% in 1999–2004 to 16% in 2009–2010 and then did not significantly change through 2017–March 2020. In 2017–March 2020, 15% of children ages 5–11 had untreated dental caries.
  • The percentage of children ages 12–17 who had untreated dental caries fluctuated from 1999–2004 to 2017–March 2020 but did not significantly change. In 2017–March 2020, 9% of children ages 12–17 had untreated dental caries.
  • In 2017–March 2020, 23% of children ages 5–11 who were in families with incomes below the poverty threshold had untreated dental caries—more than two times the percentage for those in families with incomes at or above 200% of the poverty threshold (9%).
  • In 2017–March 2020, 15% of children ages 12–17 who were in families with incomes below the poverty threshold had untreated dental caries—more than two times the percentage for those with family incomes at or above 200% of the poverty threshold (6%).

table icon HC4.A HTML Table | HC4.B HTML Table

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Oral Health. (2019). Children's oral health. United States Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/children_adults/child.htm

2 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2024). Policy on the dental home. The Reference Manual of Pediatric Dentistry, 38–40. https://www.aapd.org/media/policies_guidelines/p_dentalhome.pdf

3 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (2021). Oral health in America: Advances and challenges. United States Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/oral-health-in-america-advances-and-challenges-full-report.pdf.

4 Stierman, B., Afful, J., Carroll, M. D., Chen, T. C., Davy, O., Fink, S., Fryar, C. D., Gu, Q., Hales, C. M., Hughes, J. P., Ostchega, Y., Storandt, R. J., & Akinbami, L. J. (2021). National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–March 2020 prepandemic data files—Development of files and prevalence estimates for selected health outcomes. National Health Statistics Reports, 158. https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:106273

5 National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (2024). Tooth Decay. United States Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/tooth-decay

6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Cavity Facts. United States Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/data-research/facts-stats/fast-facts-cavities.html

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