Vermonters have good oral health

% of adults age 45-64 with tooth extraction

Current Value

42%

2022

Definition

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Story Behind the Curve

Last Updated: March 14, 2023

Author: Office of Oral Health, Vermont Department of Health

In 2000, 61% of Vermont adults’ ages 45-64 had at least one tooth extracted because of tooth decay or gum disease. That percentage has decreased significantly over time to 45% in 2020, which is great news, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. When the overall percentage is broken down, there are higher rates of tooth extraction for individuals with less education and lower income compared to those with more education and higher income. These differences in oral health outcomes based on education and income levels are called disparities. In order to address longstanding oral health disparities, we need to identify why our oral health care system is not working for the Vermonters who are experiencing the disparities and modify the system so that the differences in oral health outcomes for different populations are reduced.

Why Is This Important?

Research has shown that healthy teeth have an important effect on our diet and our overall health. When an individual is missing teeth, it is difficult to chew properly and speak clearly. Poor oral health creates a lack of self-confidence and affects systemic health. Science continues to confirm the association between poor oral health and diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, bacterial pneumonia, and other diseases. Missing and decayed teeth can also affect an individual's ability to get a job.

Partners

What Works

Integrating oral health as part of primary medical care, bringing oral health to people in public health settings using non-restorative dental techniques that are highly effective and do not involve needles or drilling, and expanding community water fluoridation are strategies that can reduce oral health disparities, including this one.

Strategy

Strategies to address oral health disparities and promote oral health equity are included in Vermont’s State Oral Health Plan.

Notes on Methodology

This question is asked every other year.

Due to BRFSS weighting methodology changes beginning in 2011, comparisons between data collected in 2011 and later and that from 2010 and earlier should be made with caution. Differences between data from 2011 forward and earlier years may be due to methodological changes, rather than changes in opinion or behavior.

Vermont tracks risk behaviors using a telephone survey of adults called the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). The results are used to plan, support, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs. These are used to track Department of Health goals (e.g. Healthy Vermonters 2020), and many other BRFSS data reports. This question about the number of permanent teeth removed because of tooth decay or gum disease is asked every other year.

Since 1990, Vermont, along with the 49 other states, Washington D.C. and U.S. territories, has participated in the BRFSS with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC provides the Vermont Department of Health with funding each year to carry out the survey. Currently, ICF Macro with an office in Burlington, Vermont, is the interviewing contractor for the Vermont BRFSS.

Several thousand Vermonters are randomly and anonymously selected and called annually. An adult (18 or older) in the household is asked a uniform set of questions. The results are weighted to represent the adult population of the state.

Beginning in 2009, Vermont started interviewing adult residents on cellular telephones as well as landline telephones. This change ensures the survey is conducted among a representative sample of Vermont adults and was made due to changing telephone patterns with more households using primarily cellular telephones.

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