Source: North Carolina Oral Health Section, 2016-2017
The following adult populations were significantly less likely to visit a dentist or dental clinic in the past year in 2018:
(WNCHN – WNC Healthy Impact Community Health Survey, 2021)
Differences in health outcomes across social groups, economic status, and racial/ethnic identity are closely linked with disparities in social determinants of health, which disproportionately burden individuals and communities who experience systemic disadvantage and/or discrimination. See our data story on the social determinants of health to learn more about how the conditions in which people are born, live, work, play, learn, worship, and age can influence their ability to achieve good health for themselves and their families.
(WNCHN – WNC Healthy Impact Community Health Survey, 2018)
Dental-related emergency department visits are, on average, the twelfth most common reason people come to the ED across NC. Yet, for six hospitals in WNC, dental-related ED visits were within the top six reasons for visits 2013-2014.
(ADA, 2005)
On a statewide survey, 39.8% of parents with children under 5 years of age reported that their children have never been to the dentist.
In 2016, 64.4% of adults in the United States ages 18-64 reported that they had visited the dentist within the last year.
The nation spends more than $124 billion each year on dental care. More than $45 billion of productivity is lost each year because people miss work to get the dental care that they need.
Source: WNCHN – Online Key Informant Survey, 2018
The information in this section should be interpreted and used with care. It should be used only to help local health departments and agencies begin to understand community perceptions about local health issues. Communities are strongly encouraged to collect their own, local-level data to inform local planning and evaluation activities.
“Recent dental screening projects in elementary schools to gain more insights about levels of decay.”
“I think the dental community is trying to get more involved with the children in the community and give them access to dental care.”
“The need for affordable and good denture care. So many of our seniors have ill-fitting dentures. It increases their lack of healthy eating, socialization, and can bring on gum disease which sparks other health issues. Medicaid is only so helpful with the cost of dentures. An affordable or even free clinic, using dental students in the area, could improve the quality of care.”
The western North Carolina region includes 17 communities: 16 counties and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI)
(ADA, 2005)
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