Adults are leaning further into preventive dental care, with 89% of those who visited the dentist in 2025 making a preventive visit, up from 84% in 2024, according to a new report from Delta Dental Plans Association.
“The 2026 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report” surveyed 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18 and older, as well as 1,000 parents of children ages 12 and under, between Jan. 5 and Jan. 15, 2026, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3%.
Here are eight things to know from the report:
- More adults are leaning into preventive dental services. Fifty-seven percent of adults visited the dentist in 2025, and among those who did, 89% made a preventive visit, up from 84% in 2024. Unexpected visits decreased to 21% from 22%, and cosmetic visits increased to 5% from 4%.
- Where adults live affects how often they go to the dentist. Fifty-nine percent of urban adults visited the dentist in 2025, compared with 44% of rural adults, and 53% of urban adults had a preventive visit, compared with 40% in rural areas. The report attributes the gap to dentist availability.
- Dental insurance showed a wide gap in preventive care. Sixty-five percent of adults with dental insurance made a preventive visit in 2025, compared with 32% of those without coverage. The report notes preventive and diagnostic services are typically covered at 100% for in-network dentists.
- Interest in enrolling in dental coverage is growing among uninsured adults, with 33% planning to obtain coverage in the next year, up from 28% in 2025.
- Adults with dental insurance reported estimated median annual savings of $350 for an individual and $1,000 for a family of four. More than 80% said their coverage saves them money in the long run, and 85% said having coverage encourages more consistent oral health habits.
- About 1 in 5 adults experienced dental issues in 2025. Among adults who visited the dentist, cavity fillings were the most common treatment (35%), followed by gum disease treatment (21%), crowns, bridges or implants (17%), tooth extractions (17%) and root canals (10%).
- Gen Z shows the biggest jump in awareness of the oral-systemic health connection. The share of Gen Z adults who call oral health very or extremely important to overall health rose to 94% from 89%, and awareness of links to diabetes (43% vs. 28%), kidney disease (40% vs. 23%) and dementia (37% vs. 20%) rose sharply. Nearly 90% of Gen Z adults now say dental visits are as essential as physicals, up from 75%.
- Dental anxiety affects about 20% of adults and children, but its main triggers are easing. Among anxious adults, the share citing an expectation of pain or discomfort fell to 50% from 59%, those citing unpleasant past experiences fell to 39% from 48%, and those stressed by the sounds and smells of the office fell to 29% from 39%. When asked what would help, 35% wanted shorter wait times, 34% wanted noise-canceling headphones and 33% wanted streaming media options.
