Updated: February 2024

Author: Office of Oral Health, Vermont Department of Health

This indicator, or population measure, is part of our Healthy Vermonters 2030 data set. Read more about how this data helps us understand and improve the well-being of people in Vermont on the Healthy Vermonters 2030 webpage.

Because this data is meant to show how the health of our state changes during the decade from 2020-2030, some indicators may have very few data points for now. Keep checking back to see the progress our public health system and partners are making.

We want to see the percentage of people aged 65 and older who delay dental care due to cost go down to 5% or lower by 2030. We only have one data point for this indicator because this is the first time it’s included as an indicator in Healthy Vermonters. Unfortunately, Medicare does not include a dental benefit, which is why adults aged 65 and older may be at greater risk for delaying dental care due to cost.

Increasing use of oral health care is a Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicator. It is a high priority objective to drive action toward improving overall health and well-being.

Looking for more data?

• See the corresponding national Healthy People 2030 objective for the proportion of people who can't get dental care when they need it.

According to the Health Policy Institute, cost is the main barrier to obtaining dental care. Untreated dental disease can progress and lead to serious life-threatening illness. Also, untreated dental disease creates a chronic infection in the body which can make other chronic conditions more difficult to manage. People aged 65 and older are more at risk for chronic disease. This indicator data can be used to inform Office of Oral Health and partners’ strategies and activities towards improving oral health care access.

According to the CDC, older Americans with the poorest oral health tend to be those who are poor, lack insurance and are members of racial and ethnic minorities. Being disabled, homebound or institutionalized (e.g., seniors who live in nursing homes) also increases the risk of poor oral health.

One of the goals in Vermont’s State Oral Health Plan is to “Increase access to dental care for all Vermonters”. Cost is cited as the biggest barrier to accessing oral health care. Unfortunately, Medicare does not include a dental benefit, so people over age 65 might not have dental coverage. There are strategies to increase access to dental care for people insured by Medicaid and Medicare included in Vermont’s State Oral Health Plan. These strategies involve addressing the cost of dental care: increase Medicaid reimbursement levels to increase the number of practices that accept people with Medicaid insurance; support efforts to include coverage for dentures in the Vermont Medicaid adult dental benefit; ensure that adults covered by Medicaid dental insurance understand their benefits and what is included; and lastly, support efforts to include oral health benefits in Medicare. Making oral health services available in public health settings like nursing homes and residences can increase access to preventive dental care and increase the chances of treating dental disease early when it is less costly.

The target value of 5% was determined with consideration of the CDC’s Healthy People 2030: Target-setting method selection flowchart. This 10% improvement seems ambitious, but reasonable considering the activities addressing oral health care access in the Vermont State Oral Health Plan. Data from the periodic Vermont Household Health Insurance Survey will be analyzed as it becomes available to track progress.