Gen Z shows significant year-over-year gains in recognizing the importance

CHICAGO, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Dental has released its 2026 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report, a nationwide analysis of consumer opinions and behaviors related to oral health.

Now in its sixth year, the report finds near-universal agreement among adults (91%) that oral health is a key part of overall health, underscoring its role in supporting physical health, mental well-being, and quality of life.

Adults are increasingly recognizing the connection between oral health and broader systemic conditions, with awareness of links to chronic illnesses such as kidney disease, diabetes, and dementia rising this year.

Younger adults are helping drive this shift, with Gen Z showing notable year-over-year gains in understanding how oral health connects to overall and chronic health. Among Gen Z respondents, 94% say oral health is very or extremely important to their overall health, up from 89% in 2025.

"Oral health is playing an increasingly important role in how adults define overall well-being," said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO, Delta Dental Plans Association. "As awareness grows, particularly among younger adults, it creates powerful momentum to advance prevention, expand access, and drive better long-term health outcomes. As the nation's leading dental benefits provider and oral health philanthropist, Delta Dental is committed to advancing oral health as a vital part of lifelong wellness."

Additional key findings from the 2026 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report include:

Preventive care gains momentum, access gaps remain

• 90% of adults say preventive dental exams are just as important as an annual physical exam, up from 87% in 2025.
• In 2025, adults living in urban areas were more likely than those in rural areas to report a preventive dental visit (53% vs. 40%).

Gen Z deepens understanding, reports improved oral health

• More than 8 in 10 (81%) of Gen Z respondents agree that protecting oral health is closely connected to mental health, up from 73% last year.
• About half (48%) of Gen Z respondents rate their oral health positively, up significantly from 31% in 2025.

Children's oral health shows marked improvement

• 95% of parents say their child's oral health is a top priority.
• In 2026, 78% of parents rated their child's oral health as "good" or "excellent," the highest level in five years.

To read the 2026 State of America's Oral Health and Wellness Report and learn more about the research methodology and full findings, click here.

About the report
Delta Dental Plans Association commissioned a third-party market research firm, Material Holdings, LLC, to conduct the research that formed the basis of this report. Material conducted the research between January 5 and January 15, 2026, using an email invitation and online surveys of audiences recruited through an opt-in panel:

• 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+
• 1,000 parents of children ages 12 and under

Geographic distribution quotas were set to ensure reliable representation of the U.S. population. The margin of error is +/- 3%.

About Delta Dental Plans Association
Based in Chicago, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental benefits provider and offers the country's largest dental network with approximately 151,000 participating dentists. As the nation's leading oral health philanthropist, Delta Dental companies and their foundations have invested more than $2.3 billion over the last 15 years to improve the oral and overall health of our communities.

Visit deltadental.com for information on individual dental insurance plans and group dental insurance plans.

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SOURCE Delta Dental Plans Association