, /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Dental released its 2025 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report, a nationwide analysis of consumer opinions and behaviors relating to oral health. Now in its fifth year, Delta Dental commissioned the research of 2,000 U.S. adults and parents of children 12 and under.

The report reveals that the state of U.S. oral health is generally positive, but areas for improvement remain. While adults maintain near-universal awareness of the relationship between oral health and overall wellness, there is a reduced understanding of the direct correlation between oral health and specific health conditions such as heart disease, respiratory illness, and high blood pressure compared to last year.

Further, the report finds that intentions for good oral hygiene remain strong, but dental visit anxiety and dips in at-home oral health care have impacted some adults and children.

"Oral health is a cornerstone of overall wellness, and while it is encouraging to see that most adults recognize this important connection, greater efforts are needed to demonstrate its critical role in preventing and managing systemic health conditions," said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO, Delta Dental Plans Association. "As the nation's leading dental benefits provider, we are committed to ensuring continued dialogue and supporting access to care so that everyone can prioritize and safeguard their oral and overall health."

Below are additional key findings from the 2025 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report:

Dental anxiety is a notable barrier to care

Closing the gap in prenatal oral health care

Preventive dental visits are prioritized

To read the 2025 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report and learn more about the report's methodology and findings, click here.

About the report
Delta Dental Plans Association commissioned a third-party market research firm, Material Holdings, LLC, to undertake research that formed the basis for this report. Material conducted its research between January 9 and January 23, 2025, using an email invitation and online surveys of two audiences recruited through an opt-in panel:

Geographic distribution quotas were set to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of the U.S. population of adults and parents with children ages 12 and under. Research in this report has a margin of error of +/- 3%.

About Delta Dental Plans Association
Based in Chicago, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental benefits provider and offers the country's largest dental network with approximately 152,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies and their foundations invested nearly $2 billion to improve the oral and overall health of our communities.

Visit deltadental.com for information on individual dental insurance plans and group dental insurance plans.

SOURCE Delta Dental Plans Association