Gum Disease Statistics (2026): Prevalence, Tooth Loss, and Risk Factors

Gum disease is one of the most common chronic conditions worldwide, yet it remains under-discussed relative to its scale. In the United States alone, roughly 4 in 10 adults aged 30 and older have some degree of periodontitis, according to CDC data from the 2009 to 2014 NHANES cycle. Globally, the WHO estimates severe gum disease affects an estimated 1 billion people. This page pulls together the most reliable numbers from government and medical sources, with every figure linked to the page where it was verified.

Headline numbers at a glance

These are the four most-cited figures, each sourced from a government or peer-reviewed source:

• About 4 in 10 U.S. adults aged 30 or older had mild, moderate, or severe periodontitis in 2009 to 2014 (CDC).
• 64.7 million Americans had periodontitis in the 2009 to 2012 NHANES cycle, with 8.9% classified as severe (PMC / NHANES 2009 to 2012).
• About 60% of adults aged 65 or older had periodontitis in 2009 to 2014 (CDC).
• An estimated 1 billion people globally have severe gum disease, per the WHO Global Oral Health Status Report 2022.

Important context: gingivitis (gum inflammation without bone or tissue loss) is reversible with good hygiene and professional cleaning. Periodontitis, once established, is not reversible. The structural damage it causes does not repair itself, though professional treatment can slow or halt its progression.

How common is gum disease in U.S. adults?

The best prevalence data for the United States comes from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative program run by the CDC.

From the 2009 to 2014 NHANES cycle (CDC):

From the 2009 to 2012 NHANES cycle (PMC/NHANES full report):

• 46% of U.S. adults aged 30 or older had periodontitis, representing approximately 64.7 million people.
• 8.9% had severe periodontitis.
• 37.1% had mild to moderate periodontitis.

The slight variation between the two cycles (40% vs. 46%) reflects different NHANES waves and analytical methods. Both numbers come from the same federal survey program.

NIH MedlinePlus summarizes the pattern this way: more than 42% of adults older than 30 have some form of gum disease, and nearly 8% have severe periodontal disease.

Gum disease by age

Periodontitis becomes substantially more common and more severe as people get older. The NHANES 2009 to 2012 data, published in full by PMC, show the following pattern for U.S. adults:

The NIDCR notes that gum disease is the most common cause of tooth loss among adults and that while overall rates have improved since the 1970s, significant disparities by age, income, and race remain.

The global burden

Gum disease is not primarily a U.S. problem. The WHO Global Oral Health Status Report 2022 is the first comprehensive analysis of oral disease burden across all 194 WHO member states. Its headline findings:

• Oral diseases affect an estimated 3.5 billion people (about 45% of the global population).
• Severe periodontal disease affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide.
• Global oral disease cases increased by 1 billion over the past 30 years.
• 3 in 4 of those affected live in low- and middle-income countries.
• Among adults aged 60 and older, approximately 23% have complete tooth loss (WHO oral health fact sheet).

The WHO also notes that poor oral hygiene and tobacco use are the primary risk factors for periodontal disease.

Tooth loss statistics

Periodontitis and dental caries are the two leading causes of tooth loss in adults, per the CDC. The NIDCR tracks this separately for working-age adults and seniors.

Adults aged 20 to 64 (NIDCR tooth loss data, adults):

• Average of 25.5 remaining teeth (out of 32) in 2017 to March 2020 data.
• About 2% of adults aged 20 to 64 have no remaining natural teeth.
• By smoking status: 7.6% of current smokers in this age group have no teeth, versus 0.3% of those who have never smoked.
• By poverty status: 6.8% of those in high poverty have no teeth, versus 0.9% of those in low poverty.

Seniors aged 65 and older (NIDCR tooth loss data, seniors):

• About 15% of seniors aged 65 and older have no remaining natural teeth (2017 to March 2020).
• Average of 21 remaining teeth in this age group.
• Ages 65 to 74: 11.4% with no teeth.
• Ages 75 and older: 19.7% with no teeth.
• By smoking status: 29.4% of current smokers aged 65 or older have no teeth, versus 11.9% of those who never smoked.
• By education: 33.4% of seniors with less than a high school education have no teeth, versus 8.8% of those with more than a high school education.

A separate CDC MMWR analysis of the 2011 to 2014 NHANES cycle found that 17.6% of adults aged 65 or older were edentulous, with rates of 27.0% among non-Hispanic Black adults.

Risk factors: smoking and diabetes

Two modifiable risk factors stand out repeatedly across the data.

Smoking:

The CDC reports that about 62% of current smokers aged 30 or older had periodontitis in the 2009 to 2014 survey cycle, compared to the overall adult rate of roughly 40%. The NIDCR lists smoking as the most significant modifiable risk factor and notes it also reduces the effectiveness of periodontal treatment.

Among adults aged 20 to 64 with no remaining teeth, the NIDCR data show: 7.6% of current smokers are fully edentulous, compared to 1.7% of former smokers and 0.3% of never-smokers.

Diabetes:

The CDC reports that about 60% of adults aged 30 or older living with diabetes had periodontitis in the 2009 to 2014 data, a rate roughly 50% higher than the overall adult average. A peer-reviewed analysis of the bidirectional relationship between periodontitis and diabetes found that the risk of periodontitis is increased by approximately threefold in diabetic individuals compared with non-diabetic individuals, with the strongest effects seen in those with poor glycemic control.

The same review also found that periodontal therapy produced an average reduction in HbA1c of about 0.4%, which the authors note could meaningfully reduce risk for microvascular complications.

Note on these figures: smoking and diabetes often co-occur in populations that also face poverty, lower educational attainment, and limited dental access. The statistics above reflect associations and should not be read as simple individual risk multipliers in isolation.

Racial and socioeconomic disparities

The NHANES 2009 to 2012 data (PMC full report) show large disparities in periodontitis prevalence by race and income:

Socioeconomic status showed a two-fold variation in prevalence between the lowest and highest levels, whether measured by federal poverty level or education. The CDC confirms that roughly 60% of adults living below 100% of the federal poverty level had periodontitis in the 2009 to 2014 cycle.

Bottom line

Gum disease is exceptionally common: roughly 4 in 10 U.S. adults over 30 have periodontitis, a rate that climbs to about 6 in 10 by age 65. Globally, an estimated 1 billion people have severe gum disease. The condition is not a cosmetic issue: periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and about 15% of Americans aged 65 and older have already lost all their natural teeth.

Gingivitis, the early stage, is fully reversible with consistent brushing, flossing, and professional cleaning. Periodontitis is not. Once the bone and connective tissue are lost, they do not grow back without surgical intervention. The most effective evidence-based approach remains early detection, regular professional care, and addressing modifiable risk factors like smoking.

No supplement or over-the-counter product is proven to reverse periodontitis or regrow lost bone. For a detailed look at what the evidence says about supplements and gum health, see the related articles below.

Related notes

• Stages of gum disease: what each one means for treatment
• Can supplements reverse gum disease?
• Do oral probiotics work for gum health?
• Best supplements for teeth and gums
• How to reverse gingivitis: what works, what does not