Study Shows 1 in 4 Adults Delay Dental Care Due to Cost

By Genni Burkhart

Recent national data confirms what dental teams observe daily: cost is a primary reason adults delay or skip dental care, even with insurance. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reports that about 1 in 4 U.S. adults (27%) delay or forgo needed care due to cost, with dental services among the most frequently postponed.

The scale of this data highlights patterns clinicians already recognize, such as missed preventive visits and deferred restorative care. Deductibles, annual maximums, uncovered services, and rising out-of-pocket costs affect not only treatment acceptance but also patient return and the nature of related discussions.

Cost, Anxiety, and Timing of Care

Cost-related avoidance often overlaps with dental anxiety. KFF polling shows adults who delay care due to cost are much more likely to report stress or worry about health care, especially when care has been postponed for a year or more. Financial uncertainty compounds, rather than replaces, dental anxiety.

For dental practices, this affects how patients return to care. Many come back after treatment needs have accumulated, shifting conversations toward managing complexity, tolerance, and comfort.

Practices offering sedation often see these patients at re-entry, not because sedation was initially planned, but because delayed care limited the patient’s perceived options.

Important Note: Considering cost earlier can influence when sedation becomes part of the treatment discussion.

Cost-Related Delays Change Case Presentation

National data explains why delayed care often presents differently when patients return. KFF analyses show adults who postpone care due to cost are more likely to need restorative or surgical intervention than those who maintain regular preventive visits.

For dental practices, this means longer appointments, more involved treatment planning, and increased coordination across the clinical team. In sedation planning, delayed care can influence case selection, sequencing, and informed consent. More extensive treatment needs often require longer visits or multiple procedures in fewer appointments, making pre-appointment communication and patient readiness more important.

Cost, anxiety, and sedation planning aren’t separate considerations. They converge when delayed care meets patient tolerance.

Discussing Cost Without Undermining Clinical Judgment

Data consistently show that patients aren’t simply declining care casually. Many are weighing financial exposure alongside perceived risk and uncertainty. KFF polling also indicates that more than one-third of insured adults report difficulty affording health care due to cost-sharing, including dental services.

Practices that navigate these conversations well tend to:

• Base their recommendations on long-term function, comfort, and stability.
• Explain how waiting to get care can change the type of treatment needed and the patient’s experience, without using scare tactics.
• Keep clinical advice and financial details separate so patients can understand each part clearly.

Clear communication doesn’t eliminate financial barriers, but it reduces ambiguity, which often drives avoidance and anxiety.

Financial Counseling and Phased Treatment Planning

Phased treatment planning plays a larger role when cost influences timing. Breaking care into stages allows patients to progress without abandoning treatment. KFF data suggest patients are more likely to proceed when options feel transparent and manageable.

Financial counseling also matters. Patients benefit when team members clearly explain insurance limitations, expected out-of-pocket costs, and payment options. Research from the American Dental Association (ADA) Health Policy Institute shows that nearly 1 in 4 adults lack dental coverage, and many insured patients still face benefit caps that limit access to care.

For anxious patients, clarity around cost directly affects readiness. While uncertainty increases stress, transparency can help reduce it.

Preventive Care, Patient Retention, and Scheduling Stability

Cost-related avoidance often shows up first in preventive care. KFF and ADA data both indicate that adults who perceive cost as a barrier are significantly more likely to delay routine dental visits, even when they have coverage. Missed hygiene appointments reduce opportunities for early intervention and can reinforce avoidance patterns.

Over time, inconsistent preventive care affects both patient outcomes and practice operations. Schedules become less predictable, and treatment needs become more complex. As a result, re-establishing care requires more time and trust-building from the dental team.

This data confirms that financial barriers will remain a strong predictor of reduced preventive care, with further effects on patients' oral health and on practices' scheduling consistency.

Implications for Dental Practices in 2026

Dental professionals don’t need national surveys to know that cost is often the most common barrier for patients. Current reporting simply confirms this on a larger scale. This broad view gives practices a chance to step back from individual situations and think more intentionally about how marketing, financial conversations, and comfort-focused care fit together.

Cost is likely to remain a major factor in patient care for the foreseeable future. Practices that openly address costs, offer clear payment options, and plan for patient anxiety about this issue will be better positioned to reduce avoidance while maintaining patient trust.

References

1. Rakshit, S., McGough, M., Cotter, L., & Claxton, G. (2025, April 7). How does cost affect access to healthcare? Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/cost-affect-access….

2. Hamel, L., & Montalvo III, J. (2025, December 11). KFF Health Tracking Poll: Health care costs in the current moment of economic anxiety. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-health-care…

3. American Dental Association Health Policy Institute. (n.d.). Dental coverage, access & outcomes. American Dental Association. Retrieved January 12, 2026, https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute/coverage…?

4. Pratt Machado, K. (2026, January 8). Tackling dental care disparities across the U.S.: Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. https://dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/tackling-dental-care-disparities-…

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.