Rural areas have less access to dental care, worse oral health: Report

Adults living in rural areas are less likely to visit a dentist and have access to an oral healthcare provider compared to their urban and suburban counterparts, leading to worse dental health, according to a Jan. 17 report by CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.

Here are five takeaways from the report:

1. Approximately 46 million people live in rural areas.  
2. Forty percent of adults living in rural areas have not visited a dentist in the past year, compared to 35% of urban and 30% of suburban residents.
3. More than one-third (34%) of rural individuals say their oral health is "fair" or "poor," which is 5% higher than urban adults and 10% higher than suburban adults.
4. Two-thirds of all rural areas are considered dental health professional shortage areas.
5. Employers in rural areas are less likely to offer dental insurance, leading to 34% of individuals in rural areas not having insurance. In urban areas, only 29% of adults lack dental insurance and 24% of suburban residents are without insurance. 

The report suggests teledentistry, expanding dental coverage and the dental workforce, and medical-dental integration as potential solutions. Read the full report here.