A report on the findings of the 2023 adult oral health survey from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
As many of you will know, dental public health is a key area of interest to the Society and the special interest groups. To say we are delighted to see the report published may well seem like a contradiction in itself, but it is clearly a reality in England and may, of course, be echoed across the other nations. We have included links to the supporting documents and provided an overview, but it is not in a single document format for the reader. The main findings have been taken from the primary source, and we acknowledge the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities.17/12/2025
The adult oral health survey (AOHS) 2023 was commissioned by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The survey was designed as a continuation of the long-running adult dental health surveys (ADHSs), carried out in the United Kingdom since 1968.
The survey was carried out from June 2023 to April 2024 with a representative sample of adults in England aged 16 and older. The main findings link to: tooth decay; tooth decay and periodontal diseases; potentially urgent conditions; teeth with no obvious decay, trauma or restorations; number of natural teeth; self-reported oral health and reported use of dental services. Please follow the link below to read the wider report findings.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/adult-oral-health-survey-2023/report-summary
Key findings (Ref: National Centre for Social Research)
- Four in ten adults with natural teeth had obvious tooth decay when examined (41%).
This compares with 28% in 2009 and is similar to levels seen in 1998. - Under a broader measure that includes enamel decay, nearly two thirds of adults
(64%) had signs of decay. - Impacts on daily life have increased. Four in ten adults (43%) reported that their oral
health had negatively impacted on their daily life, a rise since 2009 when this was 33%. - Almost one in five adults (19%) had at least one potentially urgent oral health
condition, including dental pain, deep decay involving the pulp or one or more PUFA
sign. - Very few adults now have no natural teeth. Only 2.5% reported having none, down
from 6% in 2009. - Regular dental attendance has fallen. Just over half (52%) of dentate adults said their
usual reason for attending was a check-up (this was 61% in 2009), while 35% only go
when having trouble with their teeth, mouth or dentures. - Barriers to care were common among those attending infrequently, including being
unable to find a dentist (40%), being unable to afford charges (31%) and not perceiving a
need to go (27%) - Stark inequalities persist. Adults in more deprived areas had higher levels of disease,
more pain, worse quality of life and were less likely to attend a dentist regularly than
those in more affluent areas.