Percent of Residents Who Visit a Dentist Regularly

Some racial and ethnic categories are suppressed for privacy and to avoid misleading estimates when the relative standard error exceeds 30% or the unweighted sample size is less than 50 respondents. Data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey (BRFSS) Data Why This Matters Oral health is essential to general health and well-being, according to the CDC. Yet, millions of Americans lack dental insurance and access to routine oral health care. Routine dental visits can prevent and help catch oral health issues early, reducing the risk of complications. Oral disease can lead to difficulties in eating, speaking, and learning, lower self-esteem, and limit socioeconomic opportunities. Racial inequities in oral health exist and are rooted in systemic racial inequities that limit access to dental care, insurance, and other essential resources, and shape the lived experiences and quality of life of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. The District Response DC Healthy Families provides free health insurance, including dental care, to District residents who meet income and citizenship or immigration status requirements for DC Medicaid. DC Health’s School Based Oral Health Program (SBOHP) provides school-based preventive dental care to children who may not otherwise be accessing care. This can help instill good dental habits for our youngest residents. DC Health’s Senior Dental Services Program offers greatly discounted dental health services to residents age 65+ who have no dental insurance. Dental care can be particularly important for older residents who are more likely to face dental health issues.