Scheduling challenges, high out-of-pocket costs and lack of access to care continue to be barriers for patients seeking oral healthcare.
Here are five statistics regarding dental appointments and delayed oral healthcare:
1. The average wait time for an initial dental appointment is 24 days, according to a recent poll from the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute.
2. Dentist appointments increased by 10 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, according to a report from Zocdoc, a digital healthcare marketplace.
3. Access to care, negative emotions associated with dental visits, and a lack of understanding about the connection between oral and overall health are the three main barriers hindering older Americans' oral health, according to a survey from Delta Dental.
4. Twenty percent of respondents put off going to the dentist because of scheduling issues, according to a survey conducted by orthodontics company Byte.
5. High out-of-pocket costs were cited as the main reason Americans are delaying dental care, according to a recent survey by dentalinsurance.com.