Review Delta Dental's 2026 data and find out what's driving patients' new desire to take oral health as seriously as their overall health.
By Genni Burkhart, Editor
Americans increasingly view oral health as part of their overall health, and that shift is changing how they approach prevention, dental visits, and oral hygiene.
According to Delta Dental's 2026 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report, 91% of adults in the United States consider oral health important to their overall health, while 90% say preventive dental visits are as important as annual physicals. Awareness of the connection between oral health and chronic disease also continues to grow. For dental professionals, these findings reinforce a trend that has been building for years. Patients are paying closer attention to oral health, asking more informed questions, and placing greater value on prevention.
For years, dentistry has emphasized the relationship between oral health and overall health, and that work may be starting to pay off.
Awareness Is Expanding Beyond Teeth and Gums
This new report also shows that more patients now appear to recognize the connection to systemic health. Compared with last year, awareness increased across several chronic conditions, including diabetes, kidney disease, dementia, and chronic lung disease. While awareness levels still remain relatively low, the upward trend suggests that patients are becoming more familiar with the role oral health plays in long-term health. This includes:
- Awareness of the connection between oral health and diabetes increased from 27% to 32%.
- Awareness of its connection to kidney disease increased from 22% to 28%.
- Awareness of its connection to dementia increased from 20% to 25%.
- Awareness of its connection to chronic lung disease increased from 23% to 27%.
Key Point: Patients don't need to understand every clinical detail to recognize that oral health affects more than the mouth. However, these numbers also show there's still room for greater patient education.
Prevention Is Becoming a Higher Priority
The report also points towards a shift in prevention. Among adults who visited a dentist, 89% received preventive care, up from 84% the previous year. In addition, 90% believe addressing oral health problems early can save money over time. Those findings matter because they suggest patients increasingly view preventive care as an investment in their health rather than a routine obligation.
Daily oral hygiene habits remain relatively strong as well. For example:
- 72% of adults brush twice a day.
- 73% floss daily.
- 68% use mouthwash daily.
The consistency of these habits suggests that more patients understand the importance of maintaining oral health between appointments.
Gen Z Is More Engaged Than Expected
One of the strongest findings in the report came from younger adults. Gen Z respondents reported significant gains in awareness and positive attitudes toward oral health. Nearly all Gen Z adults surveyed said oral health is important to their overall health, while almost nine in 10 placed dental visits on the same level as annual physicals.
The data shows:
- 94% say oral health is important to overall health.
- 89% say dental visits are as important as annual physicals.
- 81% connect oral health and mental well-being.
- 48% rate their oral health as good or excellent.
Key Point: These findings challenge the assumption that younger adults are disengaged from preventive healthcare. Instead, many appear highly interested in wellness and increasingly view oral health as part of that broader conversation.
Parents Are Prioritizing Oral Health, but Gaps Remain
Some of the most encouraging results involved children. Parents reported significant improvements in daily oral hygiene habits compared with the previous year. That means more children are brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash regularly, with 78% of parents rating their child's oral health as "good or excellent." At the same time, the report identified a persistent knowledge gap. Only 27% of parents correctly identified the recommended timing for a child's first dental visit. That particular finding stands out because it highlights a disconnect between valuing oral health and understanding preventive recommendations. While parents appear committed to supporting their children's oral health, many still miss the timing for starting preventive care.
Access Remains a Barrier
Growing awareness doesn't always translate into greater access to care. This report also found significant differences between urban and rural populations in dental visits and preventive care.
The data shows:
- 59% of urban adults visited a dentist in 2025, compared with 44% of rural adults.
- 53% of urban adults received preventive care, compared with 40% of rural adults.
These disparities continue to affect oral health outcomes across many communities. While patients may understand the importance of preventive care, transportation challenges, workforce shortages, disabilities, and provider availability still influence whether they receive it.
What Matters Most
The most important takeaway from the report isn't a single statistic or percentage; it's the continued shift in how patients think about oral health. It's encouraging to see that patients are increasingly connecting oral health with systemic health. They're placing greater value on prevention, showing stronger awareness of oral-systemic health connections, and appear to view dental care as part of long-term wellness. However, awareness alone isn't enough. Significant gaps remain in patient knowledge, particularly around early preventive care. Furthermore, oral health equity remains limited for many communities.
Dentists have spent decades emphasizing the connection between oral health and overall health. The latest data from Delta Dental suggests more patients are beginning to understand that message. And that understanding, thankfully, is starting to influence how they approach their own oral hygiene habits and the relation to systemic health.
Author: With over 16 years as a published journalist, editor, and writer, Genni Burkhart's career has spanned politics, healthcare, law, business finance, technology, and news. She resides in Northern Colorado, where she works as the editor-in-chief of the Incisor at DOCS Education.
