How patients are using – and underusing – their dental benefits

Dental benefits play an important role in supporting access to oral healthcare, but a recent consumer survey by Humana¹ suggests many patients may not be using their coverage as fully as they could.

Underuse is particularly evident in preventive care, where missed routine visits can mean lost opportunities for early intervention and long-term oral health maintenance. Gaps between coverage and utilization also appear in other categories, suggesting that access alone does not always lead to action.

For dentists, these patterns offer helpful insight into the factors that may shape patient decision-making and follow-through. Learn more here.

¹Humana Dental Insurance,” Opinium Research, July 2025