OBJECTIVES: As data is limited, to determine national estimates and characteristics of Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia (AD+SD) visits in the United States (US) ambulatory setting. METHODS: Through a retrospective analysis of the 10-year (1998-2007) physician-office visit data of National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, we calculated weighted national estimates and percentages of AD+SD visits made by patients aged 40 years and older with relevant ICD-9CM codes (290.xx, 294.xx, 331.xx). In multivariate logistic regression we analyzed the characteristics associated with anti-dementia drug mention at AD+SD visits. RESULTS: Of an estimated 6.5 million adult ambulatory care visits (5 visits per 1000 people) for AD+SD, 52%, 25%, 20%, 14%, and 11%, mentioned an antidementia (memantine, cholinesterase inhibitor, or donepezil/rivastigmine/gallantamine), anticholinergic, antidepressant, antipsychotic, and antianxiety drug respectively. Patients with AD+SD visits were predominantly 75-84 year olds (53%), white (89%), female (63%), living in metropolitan statistical area (81%), South (30%) and Northeast (28%), on Medicare (73%), seeing a freestanding private practice physician (61%) or a neurologist (32%), established patient (88%), and reported hypertension (12%). In multivariate analyses controlling for gender, type of dementia, comorbidity, and visit-year, any versus no anti-dementia drug mention was significantly less likely at visits by other versus white-race patients (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = is 0.44,95%CI:0.42-0.46), new  versus established patients (OR=0.38;95%CI:0.37–0.39), by those on self-pay versus private-insurance (OR=0.63;95%CI:0.56–0.70), and in South (OR=0.43;95%CI:0.41–0.44) and West (OR=0.41;95%CI:0.40–0.43) versus those in Northeast (all P <0.0001).  CONCLUSIONS: About 50% and 25% of AD+SD visits mentioned an anti-dementia drug and other drugs, respectively. New patients, those of other races, on self-pay and living in South or West of the US were less likely to receive an anti-dementia drug. Study findings’ suggest deficiencies in access and quality of dementia care in the US warranting the attention of providers and payers and need further study.