Delta Dental of Arizona announces the release of its 2024 Oral Health and Wellness Report, a statewide survey that studies the ways in which individuals think about health and approach their own care. This year’s findings highlight Arizonans' increasing understanding about the direct connection between oral health and overall health, notably including mental health at higher rates than ever reported.
According to the report, Arizonans are increasingly familiar with the connection between oral health and conditions like heart disease (50%), respiratory illness (32%), diabetes (29%) and high blood pressure (28%) at higher rates than in years prior. In addition, Gen Z and Millennials are more likely than Gen X and Boomer generations to know of the connection oral health has to certain conditions like respiratory health, diabetes and high blood pressure.
It also shows that 3 in 4 adults, on average, say oral health is closely related to mental health. As it relates to generational data, 71% of Gen X and Boomers are making the connection, while 76% of Gen Z and 82% of Millennials feel strongly there is a direct relationship between the two.
Diving deeper into the findings, 23% of all respondents reported direct feelings of anxiety as a result of their oral health; 21% reported embarrassment over their appearance; 20% lost sleep over oral health; and 19% experienced direct feelings of sadness related to oral health.
Additional findings:
- Only about three-fifths (59%) of Arizonans replace their toothbrush every three months or more often, as recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines. This is down from 70% in 2023.
- Financial issues are reported as the No. 1 barrier to care. Half of Arizonans who faced such a barrier cited out-of-pocket costs, while 43% were concerned by not having dental insurance.
- This year, Boomers were more likely than Gen Z and Millennials not to go to a preventive visit simply because they thought their oral health was good enough (15% vs. 11%).
- The top items wanted in dental insurance across all generations are two free preventative cleanings annually, oral surgery coverage and extra cleanings for high-risk individuals.
- An estimated 30% of Arizonans are now somewhat familiar with teledentisty, with Gen Z (44%) more familiar than Gen X and Boomers (20%).
“Taking action to protect oral health is taking action to protect one’s overall health,” said Michael Jones, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Arizona. “This report shows that engaging the community around whole person health, supporting innovative programs, and providing equitable access to care is more important than ever.”
According to Jones, Delta Dental of Arizona has made critical strides in whole-person health initiatives and equitable access to care.
In 2023 alone, Delta Denta of Arizona:
- Donated $2.1 to improve health and wellness in Arizona
- Gave away 178,352 toothbrushes
- Donated 169,790 tubes of toothpaste
- Provided 112,354 dental floss pods
- Supported 252,094 Arizonans across all 15 counties in receiving oral health education and/or services
- Supported 33,081 Arizonans to receive food insecurity and nutrition education programs
- Partnered with 109 nonprofits to support its mission to provide a path to better health and wellness across Arizona
In addition to this, Delta Dental of Arizona announced that effective April 1, most plans will give children and adults with special health care needs access to increased benefits, including additional dental visits to increase patient and caregiver comfort and set treatment expectations; up to four dental cleanings in a benefit year; extra chair time for treatment delivery modifications necessary to accommodate patients with sensory sensitivities, behavioral challenges or other barriers to treatment; and use of anesthesia to provide dental care, which may include up to four units of anesthesia, when necessary.
In March 2024, Delta Dental announced a groundbreaking partnership with The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix to create Arizona’s first-ever Oral Health In Medicine Initiative (OHMI). The partnership – made through a $850,000 investment by the Delta Dental of Arizona Foundation – will increase oral health education for all medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and launched in the 2024-2025 academic year, which commenced in July. It is estimated that upon completion of the program, UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix graduates will be able to make a positive impact on up to 180,000 patients per class, per year.
Delta Dental of Arizona also kicked off 2024 by awarding grants to 39 non-profit organizations that work with underserved populations of all ages through oral health and nutritional programs.
To read the full 2024 Examining Oral Health and Wellness Report, visit deltadentalaz.com/oral-health-survey.
