Objective To understand the utilization of oral health services and the cost of oral disease treatment among residents in Shenzhen city, Guangdong province, and to provide a reference for monitoring and evaluating oral health care work in Shenzhen city.

Methods From July to November 2018, a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was adopted. Based on the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of each district in Shenzhen city in 2016, 8 880 residents were randomly selected from high-GDP districts (Nanshan district and Luohu district) and low-GDP districts (Longgang district and Longhua district) in Shenzhen city for questionnaire surveys and oral examinations to analyze the utilization of oral health services and the cost of oral disease treatment among local residents.

Results Among the 8 576 residents finally included in the analysis in Shenzhen city, 2 929 used oral health services, with a utilization rate of 34.2%. The utilization rates of oral health services among preschool children (3–5 years old), adolescents (12–15 years old), and adults (35–74 years old) were 28.3% (519/1 833), 37.6% (2 071/5 510), and 27.5% (339/1 233), respectively. The main reason for preschool children to use oral health services was consultation and examination (41.8%), while the main reason for adolescents and adults to use oral health services was treatment (43.1% and 77.5%, respectively). The costs of oral disease treatment for preschool children and adults were (1 025.00±220.63) and (1 832.32±127.36) yuan, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the costs of oral disease treatment among preschool children and adults of different genders, educational levels, and districts (all P>0.05).

Conclusions The utilization rate of oral health services among residents in Shenzhen city is still low, while the cost of oral disease treatment is high.