Overview

• Students who kept up with dental exams were more likely to obtain eye and physical exams, carry health insurance, and rate their overall health more positively.
• Having a dental exam before college strongly predicted maintaining the habit two years later, indicating durable preventive behaviors.
• Dental exam rates remained stable from before to after the onset of COVID-19, suggesting resilience in this aspect of care during the disruption.
• Anxiety showed a non-linear pattern, with mild anxiety sometimes associated with more visits and higher anxiety linked to avoiding preventive exams.
• The peer-reviewed findings, part of Mason: Health Starts Here, were published in Dental Research and Oral Health, with companion studies underway on eye care, gynecological care, diet and exercise, and mental health.