According to a study conducted by the University of Cincinnati, 1 in 6 adults (about 17%) in Kentucky hadn’t been had a dental checkup in 5 years. This poll reminds us that not all of us are taking care of our oral health, and that this can impact our overall health.
Geography and Insurance Impacts Dental Access
As is to be expected, where people were made a big difference on how often they saw the dentist. People in rural Appalachian counties were less likely to see a dentist than other parts of the state. Although an average of 64% of adults had seen the dentist during the past year, this varied from a low of 51% in Appalachian counties to an average of 71% in the rest of the state.
But more than location, insurance made the difference of whether people were going to the dentist. Although 70% of people with insurance had seen their dentist in the last year, only 43% of people without insurance had.
Overall Health and Dental Visits
This study also showed that people who visited their dentist were more likely to feel good about their health. Of people who rated their health fair or poor, about 50% had been to the dentist in the last year, compared with 73% of those who rated their health good or excellent.
However, doctors aren’t doing a good job of monitoring oral health. Only 24% of people said their doctor asked them about their oral health.
Researchers conducted the poll by telephone, and talked to 1551 adults. The margin of error is 2.5%.
Have You Been to the Dentist This Year?
Although it might be easy to dismiss these results as not being applicable to us, it’s a definite fact that there are many people here in Philadelphia haven’t been to see the dentist this year, and a significant proportion hadn’t been for five years or more.
If you’re overdue for a dental appointment, please call Dental Excellence of Blue Bell today at (610) 272-0828 for an appointment.
