Fifteen-year gap between oral health of blacks and whites in the USA

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to consider racial differences across three survey questions related to adult oral health in the National Oral Health Surveillance System (NOHSS) between 1999 and 2014.

Methods: The NOHSS tracks population-level progress made toward improved oral health in the USA. NOHSS adult indicators of oral health data were extracted for 1999-2014, and trends were studied by race.

Results: Among adults ≥18 years in 1999, 70.7% of whites and 60.3% of blacks had visited a dentist in the past year. By 2014, 68.4% of whites and 56.5% of blacks had visited a dentist in the past year. Among adults aged ≥65 years in 1999, 24.5% of whites and 33.2% of blacks had lost all natural teeth due to dental caries or gingival/periodontal disease. By 2014, 14.3% of whites and 22.1% of blacks had lost all natural teeth.

Conclusions: There have been overall gains in key indicators of oral health in the USA; however, blacks remain far behind whites in the NOHSS adult oral health indicators.