Dental Caries (Tooth Decay)

Dental caries (tooth decay) remains the most common chronic disease in both children and adults in the United States, even though it is largely preventable. Although caries prevalence has significantly decreased for most Americans over the past five decades, disparities remain among some population groups.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has been an important source of information on oral health and dental care in the United States since the early 1970s. Click the links below for details about trends in dental caries prevalence and severity from the most recent survey (2017‒March 2020).