Dental insurance and clinical dental outcomes in NHANES III

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988-1994 is one of the few nationally representative data sets with information on both private dental insurance and a clinical dental exam. The objective of this analysis was to examine the possible associations between private dental insurance and clinical exam outcomes, demographic variables, and dental visits.

Using NHANES III data, analysis was limited to persons aged 20 years or older who had a dental exam and reported on their private dental insurance status. Initial analyses were based on comparisons between those with and without private dental insurance. Propensity scoring method was used to examine the effects of dental insurance on clinical exam variables.

The percentage of individuals with private dental insurance was significantly greater among non-Hispanic blacks, those with higher educational attainment, those living at/above the federal poverty level, and those with a dental visit in the past year compared to their respective counterparts. Those with untreated caries, those with a loss of attachment of greater than 4 mm, and those with 12-27 missing teeth were significantly less likely to have dental insurance (p < 0.05) than their respective counterparts.

These results suggest that having private dental insurance is associated with better clinical oral health status.