Drilling Down: Access, Affordability and Consumer Perceptions in Adult Dental Health

Although many Californians have dental insurance, even those with coverage may not be getting the dental care they need, and this is also the case among people who get dental benefits under Medi-Cal. Those with public insurance are more likely to delay care and to report that they have poor dental health than those with private coverage. Additionally, those with public coverage may not even be aware that they have coverage, which only adds to the likelihood that they don't seek care when they need it.

Using findings from the 2007 Harris Interactive survey of California adults, this report looks at dental health by insurance status, income, and ethnicity, as well as perceptions about appropriate frequency of care and the importance of good dental health for overall health status.

Publication Authors:

• Nadereh Pourat, PhD