Implication of dental insurance status on patterns of pre-radiation dental extraction and risk of osteoradionecrosis of the jaw in head-and-neck cancer patients

•Limited scope of universally funded dental care prior to head and neck radiation.•Most pre-radiation dental care self-funded, private-insured or government-sponsored.•Osteoradionecrosis and tooth loss correlates significantly with dental insurance.•Self-pay and public-insurance cohorts more likely to undergo pre-RT extractions.•Public-Insurance patients had a two-fold higher likelihood of developing ORN.