OAK BROOK, Ill., April 18, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While most American adults report an increase in their well-being this year compared to last, it's the nation's parents who are reporting the highest gains. Twenty-four percent of U.S. parents rate their overall well-being as excellent in 2017, compared to 14 percent in 2015, per a recent Delta Dental survey. And, if people are taking care of their oral health, chances are their outlook on wellbeing is even better.

The survey broke down Americans' views on their well-being by age, gender, region and marital status and delivered some surprising findings about the role oral health plays:

• Non-parents report excellent well-being at half the rate of parents. Twelve percent of non-parents give their well-being an "excellent" rating (24 percent of parents report the same).
• Generationally: Millennials report the biggest increase in well-being (21 percent vs. 14 percent in 2015). Every other age group indicates an improvement as well - Gen-Xers (16 percent vs. nearly 11 percent) and 65 plus (10 percent vs. 9 percent).
• Regionally: Southerners report the biggest increases with 16 percent rating their well-being as excellent in 2017 vs. 10 percent in 2015. But well-being is highest amongst adults in the Northeast (19 percent in 2017 vs. 14 percent in 2015). Adults in the Midwest (13 percent vs. 10 percent) and the West (15 percent vs. 11 percent) also report modest increases.
• Women are the only group reporting a decrease in well-being. Twenty-eight percent of females think their well-being is better than five years ago, compared to 36 percent in 2015. Men's well-being stayed consistent with 2015 findings, with 33 percent of males saying their well-being is better than five years ago.
• Those adults who say they're committed to oral care are nearly three times as likely as those who aren't (25 percent vs. 9 percent) to give their well-being an "excellent" rating.
• Americans who give their oral health an "A" grade are far more likely to rate their overall well-being as excellent, as opposed to those who give their oral health a lower grade (46 percent vs. 9 percent).

About the Survey: The Adult Oral Health Survey was conducted between January 24, 2017 and January 31, 2017 among a nationally representative sample of 1,108 Americans 18+. The margin of error is +/- 2.9 percent.

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About Delta Dental Plans Association
Delta Dental Plans Association, based in Oak Brook, Ill., is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental member companies.  Through the member companies, Delta Dental is the nation's leading dental benefits provider, covering more than 73 million Americans, and offering the country's largest dental network with nearly 160,000 participating dentists. Delta Dental member companies invested more than 59 million dollars in 2015 to help improve oral healthcare in local communities across the country. For more information, visit our website at deltadental.com.

SOURCE Delta Dental Plans Association

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