PHOM Indicator Profile Report of Routine dental health care visits

Why Is This Important?

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.

Data 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].

Risk Factors

Risk factors that can necessitate more frequent dental visits include smoking and diabetes. In addition those with periodontal disease may need more frequent visits.

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).

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.