When Usman Ahmad talks to Gen Z patients about going to the dentist, he makes one case: “It’s about the future.”
If they don’t want a missing tooth, or a marred smile, or difficulty eating later in life, he tells them, keep coming back to the dentist’s chair. Sometimes he uses TikTok or YouTube to help make his point, finding that young adults are more responsive to videos — showing how food builds up between teeth without flossing, for example, or how gingivitis inflames gums and where that can lead.
“It all depends on how you approach them,” said Ahmad, administrative dental director for Mary’s Center, a nonprofit community health center in Maryland and the District. While that’s true of many patients, it’s especially so for a generation that is less likely to show up and open wide.
A study published last fall in the journal Frontiers in Oral Health found that 1 in 3 U.S. adults ages 18 to 35 had skipped the dentist during the previous year — and were most likely of all age groups to have done so.
The consequences can impact overall health and longevity, dentists say — including cardiovascular and brain health. Delaying care also can cause more serious and expensive dental or medical problems down the road, they note.
“Oral health is related to your systemic health in your body. It’s not just your teeth and your gums — everything is connected. Your head is not cut off from the rest of your body,” said Tricia Quartey, a Brooklyn dentist and a consumer adviser spokesperson for the American Dental Association, who said she and her colleagues see young adults who put off dental care after aging out of their parents’ insurance or while moving around for college and jobs.
A lack of insurance as well as income and housing instability were cited by young adults who reported skipping the dentist, the study found. Though those factors affect all age groups, disparities in dental care by socioeconomic status were most extreme among young people, according to the study, which was based on an analysis of more than 127,000 participants’ responses to a survey administered as part of a National Institutes of Health research program.
Dentists recommend twice-a-year office visits, along with good brushing and flossing habits, and say not to wait for something to hurt to see a dentist. They want young people to understand the benefits of oral health: Treating root canal infection is associated with improved heart health, flossing can help prevent dementia, and preventing gum disease can improve life expectancy, research has found.
“If we don’t pay much attention to [this generation], then in the future we will have a weaker workforce,” said Yau-Hua Yu, an associate professor of periodontology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, who authored the recent study.
Almost all young people believe it’s crucial to preserve their teeth, but half don’t go to the dentist unless they’re in pain, an American Association of Endodontists survey last year found. The survey indicated that social media could be another factor contributing to that disconnect: About 45 percent of Gen Z and younger millennials get health information from nonmedical sources such as influencers and content creators — and more than half said they regretted a decision they had made based on that information.
“It’s a huge concern,” association President Steven J. Katz said. “They’re getting this incorrect information, they’re making decisions or putting off [care] based on this, and then they live to regret it.”
In Brooklyn, Quartey treated one young woman who damaged her enamel after using a charcoal toothpaste she saw promoted by influencers. Another asked Quartey about using a nail file to smooth down teeth after seeing it online.
To tackle that disconnect, some dentists are turning to TikTok to spread awareness and reach potential patients, a strategy the endodontists association is pushing.
Let’s be real: some of the stuff people try on TikTok shouldn’t be anywhere near their teeth.
@American Dental Association #DentistAdvice #oralhealth #BrooklynDentist #DentalEducation #NYCDentist
Quartey and her counterparts at Noble Dental Care began making TikTok videos last year and were “shocked” by the number of new patients who found their practice, she said. They post videos of staff dancing and participating in TikTok trends, but they also answer common questions and debunk myths.
“That is how people are getting information, so I want to at least make sure it’s the correct information,” she said.
We work so hard for y’all… practicing to get all these steps down
Addressing a lack of insurance can be harder, but young adults can look for local clinics, dental schools or community health centers that offer lower-cost dental services, said Romesh Nalliah, associate dean for patient services and a professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.
“The health system for medicine and dentistry is complicated,” he said. “But it’s worth the effort to overcome those challenges.”
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