Diversity in the use of specialized dental services by older adults in the United States
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: We estimated the use of any dental services and the use of specific types of dental services conditional on any dental use for adults 50 and over in the United States to analyze: a) disparities in the use of specialized dental services and b) whether older adults receiving routine dental care use fewer expensive specialized dental services. METHODS: We relied on data tabulations and estimated logistic regressions from the 2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Study to analyze the influence of various covariates such as age, race/ethnicity, education, dental insurance, income, and health status on the likelihood of a) using any dental care and b) using routine dental care (prophylaxis, examinations, bitewings, etc.) and specialized services for restorative, periodontal, oral surgery, or prosthetic dental care conditional on using any dental care. RESULTS: We found a) lower use of specialized services among higher income, more educated, healthier, nonminority older adults and b) association between lower use of routine dental care and higher use of expensive restorative, oral surgery, and prosthetic dental services. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies diversity in the use of specialized dental services among an older adult population and suggests that more widespread use of routine dental services could potentially improve oral health and limit the need for expensive specialized dental care for this population.
DOI: 10.1111/jphd.12309
Institution: University of Maryland, Baltimore
Language: English
Subfield: General Dentistry
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2912946228