23 May 2025

---

New Report: People with Disabilities Face Major Barriers to Accessing Oral Health Care

---

This data comes from the annual State of Oral Health Equity in America (SOHEA) survey—the largest nationally representative survey focused on adults’ attitudes, experiences, and behaviors related to oral health.

Findings from the report show that for adults reporting at least one disability, factors including income, education, and having dental insurance are often linked to oral health outcomes such as self-rated oral health, recency of the last dental visit, having a dental home, and visiting an emergency department (ED) for dental care.

“People with disabilities deserve the basic right to access the care they need, yet they continue to face significant obstacles in receiving adequate dental care,” said Melissa Burroughs, director of public policy at CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. “This report gives us actionable insights to help guide our efforts to reduce inequities and improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.”

The results of the report reveal the following:

• Fewer adults with a disability reported a dental visit in the past 12 months (56%) compared to those without a disability (70%).
• Nearly a third of adults with a disability say their dental office doesn’t provide special help and/or accommodations for their dental visit.
• Adults with a disability are less likely to have dental insurance (66%) than those without one (76%).
• One-quarter of adults with a disability (25%) said they delayed care, missed an appointment, or were unable to obtain needed health care, including oral health care.
• Adults with a disability have significantly higher odds of reporting fair/poor oral health compared to adults without a disability.
• More adults with a disability have visited an emergency department for dental care than adults without one.

To improve access to oral health care for people with disabilities, the report recommends enhancing Medicare and Medicaid coverage for adult dental care, providing additional training for providers on treating people with disabilities, and integrating medical and dental care with specialty oral health care.

Source: https://www.carequest.org/