Health Fact Sheets
Dental Care, 2018

Release date: September 16, 2019

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Key Findings

  • Just over one-third (37.5%) of Canadians both brush their teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day.
  • In the past year, most Canadians have seen a dental professional (74.7%), however 22.4% avoided going at least once because of the cost.
  • Almost two-thirds of Canadians (64.6%) have dental insurance to cover all or part of their expenses.
  • Those without insurance were about three times as likely as those with insurance to avoid seeing a dental professional because of cost (39.1% versus 13.7%).

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Oral health is an important aspect of overall health. Research has shown a connection between poor oral health and other health problems, such as diabetes and respiratory illness. The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) recommends brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day.Note 1 They state that the recommended frequency of dental visits varies by the needs and risks of oral disease of the individual, but for most, the recommended frequency is every 6 months. Routine visits to a dental professional help to prevent and detect problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, oral cancer, and vitamin deficiencies.

As part of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), when asked about the personal care of their teeth, 78.3% of Canadians aged 12 and older reported brushing their teeth at least two times per day, while less than half (43.0%) reported flossing their teeth at least once per day.Note 2 Together, just over one-third (37.5%) of Canadians reported meeting the CDA recommendations of both brushing teeth twice a day and flossing daily. Significantly more females (45.3%) than males (29.5%) reported meeting the guidelines for both brushing and flossing.Note 3 Among males, those aged 50 to 64 were the most likely to meet the care recommendations. For females, those aged 50 to 64 and 65 and older were the most likely to meet the guidelines (Chart 1).

Chart 1 Percentage meeting the dental care recommendations of the CDA, by age group and sex, population aged 12 and older, Canada, 2018

Data table for Chart 1 
Data table for Chart 1
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 1. The information is grouped by Age group (appearing as row headers), Percent and Confidence Interval, calculated using lower 95% limit and upper 95% limit units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Age group Percent Confidence Interval
lower 95% limit upper 95% limit
Males
Total (12 years and older) 29.5 28.4 30.5
12 to 17 years 30.4 27.4 33.5
18 to 34 years 23.2 21.1 25.2
35 to 49 years 29.1 27.0 31.2
50 to 64 years 35.4 33.0 37.8
65 years and older 31.9 29.8 34.0
Females
Total (12 years and older) 45.3 44.3 46.2
12 to 17 years 38.6 35.6 41.5
18 to 34 years 35.7 33.6 37.7
35 to 49 years 46.4 44.3 48.5
50 to 64 years 52.3 50.1 54.5
65 years and older 52.1 50.1 54.0

Three-quarters of Canadians saw a dental professional in the last year

Overall, 74.7% of Canadians reported that they saw a dental professionalNote 4 in the past year. A lower percentage of males (72.1%) reported visiting a dental professional in the past 12 months compared to females (77.1%). Among both males and females, those aged 12 to 17 were the most likely to report a recent visit to a dental professional (91.5% of males, 92.3% of females). The percentage of females reporting a recent dental visit was lowest among those aged 65 and older (68.8%), while for males the percentage was lowest among those aged 18 to 34 (65.9%) and those aged 65 and older (66.6%; Chart 2).

Chart 2 Percentage reporting a dental visit in the past year, by age group and sex, population aged 12 and older, Canada, 2018

Data table for Chart 2 
Data table for Chart 2
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 2. The information is grouped by Age group (appearing as row headers), Percent and Confidence Interval, calculated using Lower 95% limit and Upper 95% limit units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Age group Percent Confidence Interval
Lower 95% limit Upper 95% limit
Males
Total (12 years and older) 72.1 71.2 73.1
12 to 17 years 91.5 89.7 93.3
18 to 34 years 65.9 63.6 68.3
35 to 49 years 73.9 71.9 75.8
50 to 64 years 75.6 73.9 77.4
65 years and older 66.6 64.7 68.4
Females
Total (12 years and older) 77.1 76.3 77.9
12 to 17 years 92.3 90.4 94.1
18 to 34 years 75.7 73.8 77.6
35 to 49 years 79.8 78.0 81.6
50 to 64 years 78.7 77.0 80.5
65 years and older 68.8 67.3 70.3

Just over one-in-five Canadians avoided going to a dentist because of cost

General oral health care is not covered under publicly funded health care insurance, meaning that Canadians have to rely on private insurance, job-based insurance plans, government programs, or pay out of pocket to visit a dental health professional. The use of dental care services is therefore largely influenced by insurance coverage and the ability to pay out of pocket for the expenses. In 2018, 22.4% of Canadians (roughly 6.8 million people) avoided visiting a dental professional due to cost. Females (24.1%) were more likely than males (20.6%) to report cost as a barrier. Canadians aged 18 to 34 (28.3%) were the age group most likely to report cost as a barrier to dental care.  

In 2018, 64.6% of Canadians reported they had dental insurance that covered all or part of their expenses. Canadians with dental insurance were more likely to report visiting a dental professional in the past 12 months (82.5%) compared to those without insurance (60.5%). Furthermore, those with insurance were less likely to avoid going to a dental professional due to cost (13.7%) than those who did not have coverage (39.1%).

Canadians living in households with lower income (based on household income quintilesNote 5) were less likely to go to a dental professional, both for those with insurance and for those without. Those who both had dental insurance and lived in households in the highest income quintile were the most likely to have a dental visit (88.5%). Canadians without insurance and in the lowest income quintile were the least likely to see a dental professional in the past year (49.6%; Chart 3).  

Chart 3 Percentage reporting a dental visit in the past year, by household income quintile and dental insurance coverage, population aged 12 and older, Canada, 2018

Data table for Chart 3 
Data table for Chart 3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for Chart 3. The information is grouped by Household income quintile (appearing as row headers), Percent and Confidence Interval, calculated using lower 95% limit and upper 95% limit units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Household income quintile Percent Confidence Interval
lower 95% limit upper 95% limit
With dental insurance
First quintile 69.4 66.8 72.1
Second quintile 79.2 77.4 81.0
Third quintile 82.8 81.2 84.3
Fourth quintile 85.8 84.5 87.0
Fifth quintile 88.5 87.5 89.6
No dental insurance
First quintile 49.6 47.4 51.9
Second quintile 57.0 54.7 59.3
Third quintile 64.7 62.0 67.5
Fourth quintile 68.0 65.0 71.0
Fifth quintile 78.4 75.9 81.0

Summary

While most Canadians meet the recommendations for teeth brushing, only a third also floss daily. The majority have also reported seeing a dental professional in the past year, although about one-in-five did avoid going because of the costs. Overall, having dental insurance did lead to more visits and less cost-related avoidance.

References

Canadian Dental Association. (accessed January 4, 2019).

Canadian Dental Association. 2017. The State of Oral Health in Canada. (accessed January 4, 2019).

Millar, W.J., D. Locker. 1999. Dental insurance and use of dental services. Health Reports, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003 Vol. 11, No. 1. (accessed February 13, 2019).

Millar, W.J. 2004. Dental consultations. Health Reports, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-003 Vol. 16, No. 1. (accessed February 13, 2019).

Statistics Canada. 2010. Oral Health: Edentulous people in Canada 2007 to 2009. Health Fact Sheets, Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 82-625-X. (accessed February 13, 2019).

Data

Additional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey are available from table 13-10-0096-01.

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