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Health Indicator Report of Routine dental health care visits

Regular dental visits are important in the prevention, early detection, and treatment of oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions for all ages. Adults need regular professional care to avoid tooth loss, the need for complex restorative treatment, and even systemic health problems. Even people without teeth need to be monitored regularly for oral health which may be affected by systemic conditions, medications, prosthetic devices, and exposure to tobacco. Infrequent use of dental services has been associated with poor oral health among adults.
Year19971998199920002001200220042006200820102012201420162018202020220.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%Age-adjusted percentage of adultsPercentage of adults who reported a dental visit in the past year, Utah and U.S.,1997-2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022UT Old MethodologyUS Old MethodologyUT New MethodologyUS New Methodology
 BRFSS Utah vs. U.S.YearAge-adjusted percentage of adultsLower 95% CIUpper 95% CI

UT Old Methodology

 1UT Old Methodology199771.8%69.6%73.9%
 1UT Old Methodology199869.4%67.0%71.7%
 1UT Old Methodology199972.6%70.5%74.7%
 1UT Old Methodology200073.6%71.4%75.7%
 1UT Old Methodology200176.2%74.3%78.0%
 1UT Old Methodology200272.9%71.1%74.7%
 1UT Old Methodology200471.9%70.3%73.4%
 1UT Old Methodology200669.7%68.0%71.3%
 1UT Old Methodology200871.7%70.1%73.3%
 1UT Old Methodology201072.6%71.4%73.9%
 1UT Old Methodology2012n/an/a
 1UT Old Methodology2014n/an/a
 1UT Old Methodology2016n/an/a
 1UT Old Methodology2018n/an/a
 1UT Old Methodology2020n/an/a
 1UT Old Methodology2022n/an/a

US Old Methodology

 2US Old Methodology199766.7%66.1%67.3%
 2US Old Methodology199870.7%69.9%71.5%
 2US Old Methodology199967.9%67.5%68.3%
 2US Old Methodology200071.6%70.6%72.6%
 2US Old Methodology200170.5%69.9%71.1%
 2US Old Methodology200269.4%69.0%69.7%
 2US Old Methodology200468.9%68.6%69.3%
 2US Old Methodology200667.9%67.5%68.3%
 2US Old Methodology200868.3%68.0%68.6%
 2US Old Methodology201067.9%67.6%68.2%
 2US Old Methodology2012n/an/a
 2US Old Methodology2014n/an/a
 2US Old Methodology2016n/an/a
 2US Old Methodology2018n/an/a
 2US Old Methodology2020n/an/a
 2US Old Methodology2022n/an/a

UT New Methodology

 3UT New Methodology1997n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology1998n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology1999n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology2000n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology2001n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology2002n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology2004n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology2006n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology2008n/an/a
 3UT New Methodology201068.7%67.6%69.8%
 3UT New Methodology201268.7%67.5%69.8%
 3UT New Methodology201469.1%68.2%70.0%
 3UT New Methodology201673.0%71.8%74.1%
 3UT New Methodology201872.0%70.9%73.1%
 3UT New Methodology202073.1%72.0%74.2%
 3UT New Methodology202271.5%70.3%72.6%

US New Methodology

 4US New Methodology1997n/an/a
 4US New Methodology1998n/an/a
 4US New Methodology1999n/an/a
 4US New Methodology2000n/an/a
 4US New Methodology2001n/an/a
 4US New Methodology2002n/an/a
 4US New Methodology2004n/an/a
 4US New Methodology2006n/an/a
 4US New Methodology2008n/an/a
 4US New Methodology2010n/an/a
 4US New Methodology201265.2%64.9%65.5%
 4US New Methodology201464.1%63.8%64.4%
 4US New Methodology201665.5%65.2%65.8%
 4US New Methodology201866.2%65.8%66.5%
 4US New Methodology202064.5%64.1%64.9%
 4US New Methodology202263.4%63.1%63.7%

Notes

Age adjusted to U.S. 2000 population. U.S. data are the average of all states and the District of Columbia; they do not include U.S. territories. (Beginning in 2002 this is a core BRFSS question which is only asked in even years.)

The data in this graph include estimates from the old landline-only methodology, and from the new methodology that includes both landline and cell phone respondent interviews along with a new weighting methodology called iterative proportional fitting, or raking. The new methodology utilizes additional demographic information (such as education, race, and marital status) in the weighting procedure. Both of these methodology changes were implemented to account for an increased number of U.S. households without landline phones and an under-representation of certain demographic groups that were not well-represented in the sample. More details about these changes can be found at: https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/pdf/opha/resource/brfss/RakingImpact2011.pdf.

Data Sources

Data Interpretation Issues

Question text: "How long has it been since you last visited a dentist or a dental clinic for any reason? Interviewer Instruction: Include visits to dental specialists, such as orthodontists."

Beginning in 2011, BRFSS data include both landline and cell phone respondent data along with a new weighting methodology called iterative proportional fitting, or raking. This methodology utilizes additional demographic information (such as education, race, and marital status) in the weighting procedure. Both of these methodology changes were implemented to account for an increased number of U.S. households without landline phones and an under-representation of certain demographic groups that were not well-represented in the sample. More details about these changes can be found at: https://ibis.utah.gov/ibisph-view/pdf/opha/resource/brfss/RakingImpact2011.pdf.

As with all surveys, some error results from nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions) and measurement (e.g., social desirability or recall bias). Error was minimized by use of strict calling protocols (up to 15 calls were made to reach each household), good questionnaire design, standardization of interviewer behavior, interviewer training, and frequent, on-site interviewer monitoring and supervision.

Definition

Percentage of adults ages 18 years and older who reported a dental visit in the past year.

Numerator

Number of survey respondents who reported a dental visit within the past 12 months.

Denominator

Total number of survey respondents excluding those with missing, "Don't know/Not sure" or "Refused" responses.

Other Objectives

Chronic Disease Indicator: Visits to dentist or dental clinic among adults aged >= 18 years.

How Are We Doing?

In 2022, 71.5% of Utah adults reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic in the past year (age-adjusted rate). This is down 1.6 percentage points from 2020, but higher than it was 12 years ago (68.7% in 2010).

How Do We Compare With the U.S.?

Since 1999, the percentage of Utah adults who reported visiting a dentist or dental clinic in the past year has been higher than reported by adults in the U.S. as a whole (73.1% vs. 64.5% in 2020, and 71.5% vs. 63.4% in 2022).

What Is Being Done?

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Program current priorities include promoting fluoride and dental sealants, preventing tooth decay in young children, and encouraging annual dental visits for both children and adults through education and outreach to all ages.

Available Services

As of October 2024, Medicaid includes basic dental care for children, pregnant women, and adults who fall into the "blind and disabled", "elderly", and "targeted adulted Medicaid (TAM)" populations. TAM is a Medicaid program for a certain population of adults focusing on individuals who are homeless or having substance abuse or mental health problems. At this time there is only emergency coverage for most other adults, though expanded coverage to include dental benefits for all Medicaid-eligible adults is coming soon. For information call 1-888-222-2542 or visit https://medicaid.utah.gov/.

CHIP includes preventive and restorative services for children. For more information call 1-877-KIDS-NOW (1-877-543-7669) or visit https://chip.utah.gov/.

There are a few dental clinics located throughout Utah that provide services on a sliding fee scale or at a reduced rate. For more information on these clinics, visit https://ruralhealth.utah.gov/find-a-dentist-new/ for the Oral Health Program - Find a Dentist website.

Page Content Updated On 10/01/2024, Published on 10/04/2024
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health and Human Services IBIS-PH web site (https://ibis.utah.gov/epht-view/). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: " Retrieved Fri, 04 April 2025 3:01:32 from Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: https://ibis.utah.gov/epht-view/ ".

Content updated: Thu, 6 Feb 2025 13:01:20 MST