Food deserts and dental care utilization in the United States

Objectives: Although food deserts are known to impact health and healthcare utilization, no research has investigated the relationship between food deserts and dental care utilization. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing the relationship between living in a food desert and self-reported dental care utilization in the past year. Methods: Data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 10,495). The association between food deserts and dental care utilization was assessed using covariate-adjusted multiple logistic regression. Results: Living in a food desert was associated with higher odds of not utilizing dental care in the past year. This association was concentrated among high-poverty areas (≥20% poverty rate). Conclusions: The current study is the first to assess the relationship between living in a food desert and dental care utilization. The findings demonstrate that individuals living in low-income urban food deserts may be at increased risk for not utilizing dental care.