Every figure was read in its primary source before publication, with publication, page and date. None is a DentRead result.
Acceso
72 millionAbout 72 million US adults lack dental coverage.CareQuest Institute, Out-of-Pocket Costs for Dental Care (p. 1, 2025-11)
27% vs 9.5%27% of US adults have no dental insurance. For medical insurance the figure is 9.5%, about 26 million adults.CareQuest Institute, Out-of-Pocket Costs for Dental Care (p. 1, 2025-11)
77% vs 37%77% of adults say they plan to visit the dentist within the next year. 37% actually visited within the last year.ADA Health Policy Institute, US Oral Health and Well-Being (p. 6, 2024-01)
58% vs 28%58% of those with private dental insurance visited the dentist in the past year, compared to 28% of those with no insurance.ADA Health Policy Institute, National Trends in Dental Care Use, Coverage and Cost Barriers (p. 4, 2026-04)
58% vs 28%58% of the population at or above 400% of the federal poverty level visited the dentist, compared to 28% of the population below 100% FPL.ADA Health Policy Institute, National Trends in Dental Care Use, Coverage and Cost Barriers (p. 4, 2026-04)
53% vs 41%53% of children visited the dentist in the past year, compared to 41% of working-age adults.ADA Health Policy Institute, National Trends in Dental Care Use, Coverage and Cost Barriers (p. 4, 2026-04)
53% vs 32%53% of the white population visited the dentist in the past year, compared to 32% of the Hispanic population.ADA Health Policy Institute, National Trends in Dental Care Use, Coverage and Cost Barriers (p. 4, 2026-04)
38 statesAs of 2025, 38 states and DC offer enhanced dental benefits for adult Medicaid beneficiaries.ADA Health Policy Institute, Dental Care in Medicaid Programs (p. 3, 2025-12)
50% / 60%Medicaid reimbursement in most states falls far below 50% of dentist charges and 60% of private insurance reimbursement.ADA Health Policy Institute, Dental Care in Medicaid Programs (p. 4, 2025-12)
49%, down from 67%As of 2024, 49% of dentists affiliated with DSOs participate in Medicaid/CHIP, down from 67% in 2015.ADA Health Policy Institute, Dental Care in Medicaid Programs (p. 13, 2025-12)
45% vs 39%As of 2024, 45% of female dentists participate in Medicaid/CHIP compared to 39% of male dentists.ADA Health Policy Institute, Dental Care in Medicaid Programs (p. 12, 2025-12)
5%About 5% of Medicaid recipients also have private dental insurance.CareQuest Institute, Out-of-Pocket Costs for Dental Care (p. 6, 2025-11)
27 statesIn 27 states, fewer than half of child Medicaid/CHIP beneficiaries visited a dentist in the past year.ADA Health Policy Institute, Dental Care in Medicaid Programs (p. 23, 2025-12)
8.3 millionAbout 8.3 million adults reported losing their dental coverage.CareQuest Institute, Out-of-Pocket Costs for Dental Care (p. 3, 2025-11)
20.2%20.2% of US adults aged 65 and older have at least one untreated cavity.CDC/NCHS, FastStats Oral and Dental Health (revisado 2026-01-16), Health, United States 2019, tabla 28 (NHANES 2015-2018)
65.5%65.5% of US adults aged 18 and older had a dental exam or cleaning in the past year.CDC/NCHS, FastStats Oral and Dental Health (revisado 2026-01-16), NHIS 2023 Early Release
86.9%86.9% of US children aged 2-17 had a dental visit in the past year, compared with 65.5% of adults.CDC/NCHS, FastStats Oral and Dental Health (revisado 2026-01-16), Health, United States 2019, tabla DentCh (niños, 2019) y NHIS 2023 (adultos)
13.2%13.2% of US adults aged 65 and older have lost all their natural teeth.CDC/NCHS, FastStats Oral and Dental Health (revisado 2026-01-16), NHANES 2017-marzo 2020, NHSR 158 tablas 4 y 9
23%WHO estimates global complete tooth loss prevalence at 23% among people aged 60 and older, and almost 7% among those aged 20 and older.OMS, hoja informativa Salud bucodental (17-03-2025), a partir de GBD 2021
Clinica
46%46.0% of US children and adolescents aged 2-19 have treated or untreated caries in at least one tooth.CDC/NCHS, FastStats Oral and Dental Health (revisado 2026-01-16), NHANES 2017-marzo 2020, NHSR 158 tablas 4 y 9
25.9%25.9% of US adults aged 20-44 have at least one untreated cavity.CDC/NCHS, FastStats Oral and Dental Health (revisado 2026-01-16), Health, United States 2019, tabla 28 (NHANES 2015-2018)
1 billionWHO estimates more than one billion cases of severe periodontal disease worldwide.OMS, hoja informativa Salud bucodental (17-03-2025), a partir de GBD 2021
3.7 billionWHO estimates oral diseases affect nearly 3.7 billion people, and untreated caries in permanent teeth is the most common health condition worldwide.OMS, hoja informativa Salud bucodental (17-03-2025), a partir de GBD 2021
Mercado
73%, down from 85%73% of dentists were practice owners in 2023, compared to 85% in 2005.ADA Health Policy Institute, US Dentist Workforce 2025 (p. 27, 2025-08)
about 2 in 3In 2024, about 2 in 3 dentists practiced in a group setting; only 34% practiced in a single location with no other dentists.ADA Health Policy Institute, US Dentist Workforce 2025 (p. 23, 2025-08)
more than 1 in 4In several states, more than 1 in 4 dentists up to 10 years out of dental school are affiliated with a DSO.ADA Health Policy Institute, US Dentist Workforce 2025 (p. 37, 2025-08)
31.4%In Q4 2025, 31.4% of dentists reported recruiting dental hygienists, about 1 in 3.ADA Health Policy Institute, State of the US Dental Economy Q4 2025 (p. 21, 2025-12)
60 changesCDT 2026 contains 60 code changes effective January 1, 2026: 31 additions, 14 revisions, 6 deletions and 9 editorial changes.ADA News, New CDT codes you should know for 2026 (2025-09-29)
zero codesNone of the additions the ADA highlighted in CDT 2026 relate to artificial intelligence, and no dedicated CDT code for AI has been reported.ADA News, New CDT codes you should know for 2026 (2025-09-29)
5 codesThe highlighted CDT 2026 additions, saliva testing, cracked tooth testing, duplicate dentures, peri-implantitis debridement and occlusal guard cleaning, document services practices already performed. The code does not create the procedure; it makes it billable.ADA News, New CDT codes you should know for 2026 (2025-09-29)
32.4%32.4% of surveyed dentists report being overworked.ADA Health Policy Institute, HPI Perspectives (julio 2026), panel trimestral de dentistas de EE.UU.
Tecnologia
43.3%43.3% of surveyed dentists use AI for at least one task in their practice, and another 26.4% say they plan to.ADA Health Policy Institute, HPI Perspectives (julio 2026), panel trimestral de dentistas de EE.UU.
22.8%22.8% of surveyed dentists use AI for imaging and diagnostics, and another 25.4% who do not use it today plan to use it for that.ADA Health Policy Institute, HPI Perspectives (julio 2026), panel trimestral de dentistas de EE.UU.
13.2%13.2% of surveyed dentists use AI to explain clinical findings to their patients, while 68.3% say they do not plan to use it for that.ADA Health Policy Institute, HPI Perspectives (julio 2026), panel trimestral de dentistas de EE.UU.
82.6%82.6% of surveyed dentists do not plan to use AI for treatment recommendations, and fewer than 5% use it for that today.ADA Health Policy Institute, HPI Perspectives (julio 2026), panel trimestral de dentistas de EE.UU.
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