2024 Oral Health Surveillance Report

Dental Caries, Tooth Retention, and Edentulism, United States, 2017–March 2020

At a glance

This report estimates the prevalence and severity of dental caries in different age groups and tooth retention in adults. These estimates are stratified by sociodemographic characteristics such as age, sex, race and ethnicity, poverty status, education level, and smoking.

A tooth with "Oral Health Surveillance Report" above it and "Dental Caries, Tooth Retention, and Edentulism, United States 2017-March 2020" to the right of the tooth on a purple background

Introduction

This surveillance report provides national estimates for selected oral health measures from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using the NHANES 2017–March 2020 prepandemic data files.1

This report updates CDC’s 2019 Oral Health Surveillance Report, which provided data for 2011–2016 and highlighted disparities in oral health by certain sociodemographic characteristics.2

For this report, we provide estimates for the prevalence and severity of dental caries in primary and permanent teeth in specific age groups (for those 2 years or older) and for tooth retention and edentulism (total tooth loss) in adults 20 years or older. Estimates are stratified by the following self-reported sociodemographic characteristics: age, sex, race and ethnicity, family poverty status, education level, and smoking status.

Acknowledgements and Citations

This document was written by the following people:

Eugenio Beltrán-Aguilar, DMD, MPH, MS, DrPHA

Mei Lin, MD, MPH, MSB

Liang Wei, MS, MPHA

Gina Thornton-Evans, DDS, MPHB

Chien-Hsun Li, MSA

Lorena Espinoza, DDS, MPHB

Suggested Citation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oral Health Surveillance Report: Dental Caries, Tooth Retention, and Edentulism, United States, 2017–March 2020. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2024. [Accessed Date]. https://www.cdc.gov/oral-health/php/2024-oral-health-surveillance-report/index.html

Resources‎

Access a PDF version of the 2024 Oral Health Surveillance Report.



The 2019 Oral Health Surveillance Report is available through CDC Stacks.

Print
Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; CDC Division of Oral Health
  1. DB Consulting Group
  2. Division of Oral Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC
  1. Akinbami LJ, Chen T-C, Davy O, et al. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2017–March 2020 prepandemic file: sample design, estimation, and analytic guidelines. Vital Health Stat 2. 2022;190.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Oral Health Surveillance Report: Trends in Dental Caries and Sealants, Tooth Retention, and Edentulism, United States, 1999–2004 to 2011–2016. U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2019.