State of Oral Health Equity in America 2021
Research Report #2
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health found that over half of respondents (57%) in a recent oral health equity survey are willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and 60% of people who are willing to get the vaccine are also willing to receive it from a dentist. Why does this matter? Dentists are uniquely qualified health care providers who are extensively trained to perform complex injections. Some other findings from the survey include:
- Respondents reported they did not have a physical examination in the past two years, but 12% had seen the dentist.
- Vulnerable and underserved populations, such as those with lower income (less than $30,000 [47%]) and education (less than high school (43%), Hispanics (50%) and Blacks (42%), and those living in rural areas (49%) report lower rates of vaccine willingness.
- Dentists can reach patients who are not otherwise receiving the vaccine from a regular medical care provider.
Read more about the opportunity for dentists to participate in America’s mass COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Part 2 of our new series, State of Oral Health Equity in America 2021.
