Dentists recommend that patients visit their office twice a year for regular preventive care services. The annual BRFSS survey indicates that 68.7% of Nebraska adults visit their dentist once a year. Healthy People 2020 data in 2014, reports that 43.2% of individuals of all ages visit the dentist annually. Without regular dental preventive care visits, cavities and gum disease are more likely to occur. When dental pain happens, more Nebraskans are now seeking care in Hospital ERs, recieving medications but not actual treatment. This disturbing trend costs our health care system millions of dollars each year.

Definitions:

BRFSS = Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey
Healthy People 2020 = Ten year target set by CDC to improve America's health status 

National HP2020 (OH-7) Comparison:

Comparing Nebraska access to dental care data to national access to dental care data is difficult because Nebraska data comes from the biannual BRFSS survey of adults 18 and older. National HP 2020 data considers the entire age range to include children, adolescents and adults. Therefore, the access to care percentages are not always comparable. Nebraska BRFSS data from 2012 suggests that 67.6 % of adults 18 and older visit the dentist each year, while national HP 2020 reports that 43.2 % of individuals of all ages visited the dentist annually in 2014.

Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), AHRQ

Nebraska Racial/Ethnic Comparison (2012 2014 & 2016 combined, age-adjusted):

• White NH: 70.1%
• African American NH: 54.1%
• Native American NH: 54.9%
• Asian/Pacific Islander NH: 72.5%
• Hispanic: 51.2%

NH = Non-Hispanic