Urban-rural Differences in Dental Care Use Among Adults Aged 18-64

Regular dental care can lower the risk for oral diseases, and studies have shown a connection between oral health and general health (1,2). However, in 2019 about 35% of adults aged 18 and over did not have a dental examination or cleaning (3). It has been shown that disparities exist in access and use of dental care, especially between rural and urban areas (4,5). In this report, urban-rural differences in dental care use, defined as a dental visit in the past 12 months, were examined among adults aged 18-64 by demographic characteristics.