25+ Dental Insurance Statistics For 2023 & Beyond

Dental insurance is one of the most misunderstood insurance industries in America.

However, over 156 million people have dental coverage in 2023.

This article has all of the most up-to-date dental insurance statistics for 2023 and beyond.

Table Of Contents

• Dental Insurance Coverage
• Dental Insurance In Children
• Dental Insurance In Medicare
• Dental Insurance In Medicaid
• Dental Disease & Insurance
• Dental Insurance Cost
  
  

Dental Insurance Coverage

• Nationwide, 50.2% of adults aged 18-65 have dental coverage. (CDC)
• 4.4% of Americans delay dental care due to cost. (CDC)
• The likelihood of visiting a dentist is 90% higher in homes at 400% of the poverty threshold, compared to those at or below poverty. (HealthyPeople)
  
  

Dental Coverage In Children

• 53% of kindergartners and 67% of third graders have had some form of tooth decay. (THHS)
• Only 78.5% of children nationwide have what is considered “good” teethe. (THHS)
• 40% of children under 3 have never been to the dentist. (ADA)
  
  

Dental Insurance In Medicare

Original Medicare does not cover dental, vision, or hearing, however, many Medicare beneficiaries can receive dental coverage through Medicare Advantage. Otherwise, you must buy it separately.

• Only 29.2% of people over 65 have dental insurance. (CDC)
• Women over 65 are less likely to have dental coverage than men. 28.5% of women over 65 have dental insurance compared to 30.1% of men. (CDC)
• 47% of Medicare beneficiaries did not have a dental visit in the last year. (KFF)
• 94%, or 16.6 million enrollees, in Medicare Advantage plans have dental coverage. (KFF)
• 20% of Medicare beneficiaries spend more than $1000 when getting dental care. (KFF)
• Americans 85 and older are the least likely group to have dental insurance at 19.9% having coverage. (CDC)
  
  

Dental Insurance In Medicaid

• Medicaid pays fractions for dental care compared to private insurance. In 2020, Medicaid paid only 61.4% compared to private insurance for dental procedures in children. (ADA)
• Minnesota has the lowest Medicaid reimbursement ratio for child dental coverage at 27.8%. (ADA)
• Kentucky has the highest Medicaid reimbursement rates compared to private child dental insurance at 104.8%. (ADA)
• 14 states do not offer dental coverage for adults on Medicaid. (ADA)
• The lowest reimbursement rate for Medicaid dental in adults was Minnesota at 30.5%. (ADA)
• The highest reimbursement rate for Medicaid dental in adults was California at 86.8%. (ADA)
  
  

Dental Disease & Insurance

• 78% of Americans will have a cavity before reaching age 17. (ADHA)
• 80% of Americans have some level of gum disease currently. (ADHA)
• 26% of adults have untreated tooth decay. (CDC)
  
  

Dental Insurance Cost

• The average dental insurance nationwide costs $366 a year for one person in 2022. (PolicyAdvice)
• The average dental insurance nationwide costs $680 a year for a family in 2022. (PolicyAdvice)
• Household expenditure on dental coverage has not been increasing as fast as total healthcare spending. In the last two decades, per capita dental spending increased 26% compared to a 60% increase in overall healthcare spending. (NCBI)
  
  

Summary

That’s it for our dental insurance statistics.

We hope these stats were helpful to you.

If you want more information or want to leave a comment please do so below!

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