Delta Dental report: more U.S. adults believe dental insurance is essential to protecting oral and overall health

CHICAGO — July 31, 2024 — Delta Dental finds a growing number of U.S. adults believe dental insurance supports their overall health, according to the recently released 2024 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report.

The report, which is a nationwide analysis of consumer opinions and behaviors relating to oral health, reveals more U.S. adults feel dental insurance is essential to protecting their oral and overall health (86%) compared to last year (82%).

“It is encouraging to see the increasing prioritization of oral health across the country, which is underscored by the fact that a vast majority of U.S. adults recognize that dental insurance is an important part of their oral and overall health,” said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO, Delta Dental Plans Association. “Dental benefits are essential to providing access to oral health care, which supports positive overall health outcomes for adults and children alike.”

Financial and emotional assurance

• Nearly 9 in 10 (88%) adults indicate that dental insurance makes them less worried about dental emergencies.
• Adults believe dental insurance helps save money in the long run (85%), is worth the cost (84%), and provides pre-negotiated discounts with their dentist (80%).

Preventive care is essential care

• An overwhelming majority of adults with dental benefits were more likely to visit the dentist in 2023 for preventive care (83%) than those without coverage (58%).

Notable interest in teledentistry benefits

• Nearly 1 in 10 (9%) adults indicate they would like teledentistry services included in a dental insurance plan.
• Gen Z (15%) and Millennials (12%) are most eager for this benefit compared to Boomers (5%).

To read the full 2024 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report and learn more about the report’s methodology and findings, click here.

About the research

Delta Dental Plans Association commissioned a third-party market research firm, Material Holdings, LLC (“Material”), to undertake research that formed the basis for this report. Material conducted its research between January 3 and January 17, 2024, using an email invitation and online surveys of two audiences recruited through an opt-in panel:

• 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+
• 1,000 parents of children ages 12 and under

Geographic distribution quotas were set to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. population of adults and parents with children ages 12 and under. Research in this report has a margin of error of +/- 3%.

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.