Roughly 37% of adults reported having dental debt in 2025, according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The healthcare advocacy organization analyzed December 2025 data from the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey to create the report. The annual survey, which includes responses from more than 10,000 adults ages 18 and older, examines the prevalence and burden of medical debt.
Four findings from the report for dental leaders to know:
1. More than 1 in 4 adults reported that they or their family members owed medical debt. Of this group, 15.4% reported having past-due medical bills or bills they were unable to pay.
2. Most adults with unpaid medical bills reported that their debts originated from multiple sources, including 37.6% of adults who had debt for dental services.
3. Of those with debt, 14.8% had bills being paid off over time directly to a healthcare or dental care provider.
4. Although medical debt was least prevalent among adults ages 65 and older, it still affected 17.6% of adults in this age group, which RWJF said could reflect gaps in Medicare protections such as a lack of coverage for dental services.
