Depression and Differential Oral Health Status Among U.S. Adults With and Without Prior Active Duty Service in the U.S. Military, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2018.

This study found that not only veterans have higher odds of overall caries experience, but also veterans suffering from depression have higher odds of active caries compared to non-depressed veterans. Most veterans lack Veterans Health Administration dental benefits and face challenges maintaining oral health on top of medical and mental health burdens. Our results add further urgency to increasing dental care access for this vulnerable population because of the exacerbation of unmet oral health care needs attributable to the additional mental health challenges veterans face.