The oral health of upper income Americans.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey analysis of national surveillance data
PubMed 26660671 · doi:10.1111/jphd.12135
What was done
Analyzed 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to evaluate oral health metrics among upper-income Americans (family income >400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level). The authors examined differences across age and income brackets for the mean number and percentage of decayed permanent surfaces, filled surfaces, and missing teeth.
What was found
Upper-income Americans had a mean number of untreated decayed surfaces ranging from 0.2 to 0.5 and mean missing teeth ranging from 2.6 to 3.3 across age groups. Restored surfaces were low among children but extensive among adults. Income-related disparities in oral health widened with increasing age.
Why it matters
Upper-income individuals account for 33 percent of the US population and 53 percent of total dental expenditures. Documenting their baseline oral health demonstrates that despite having low rates of active untreated decay or tooth loss, upper-income adults carry a substantial burden of prior dental restorations.
Limits
The abstract reports no exact sample size or confidence intervals. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or determine whether extensive restorations reflect overtreatment or past disease burden. Data from 1999–2004 may not represent contemporary oral health trends or current clinical practices.
Cited by
- context The average American has 12 dental fillings.