According to the Center for Disease Control 2005 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 46% of adults 18 year of age and over last contacted a dentist or other dental health professional within the previous 6 months. National survey results also indicated that adults with higher educational attainment and higher family income were considerably more likely to have contacted a dental health professional in the last 6 months. Among adults under age 65 years of age, 54% of adults with private health care coverage had contact with a dental health professional within the past 6 months compared with 30% of adults with Medicaid health care coverage and 19% of adults who were uninsured.
The 2004 WV Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (WVBRFSS) reported that 62.5% of West Virginia adults had visited the dentist or dental clinic within the past year. Survey results showed that as household income levels increased so did the number of visits for dental care. For example, 82.5% of West Virginia adults with household incomes of over $50,000 saw a dentist within the past year, compared to only 45.1% of West Virginia adults with household incomes of less than $15,000.
In Kanawha County during 2004, 66.7% of adults had visited the dentist or dental clinic within the past year and 34.5% of adults age 65 and older reported having all of their natural teeth extracted. (2004 BFRSS).