Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Accuracy in Dental Medicine, A New Way to Measure Trueness and Precision
Published on: April 29, 2014
Dental care use: does dental insurance truly make a difference in the US?
1Division of Health Services Research, Department of Health Promotion and Policy, Dental School, University of Maryland, Baltimore 21201, USA. rmanski@umaryland.edu
Objective:
Having medical insurance with or without coverage for dental care has been shown to be associated with an increase in dental use. The purpose of this study is to provide information that will help describe this behavior.
Method:
We isolate the independent effect of health insurance on the likelihood of a dental visit by analyzing Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data.
Results:
Data show that persons with private medical coverage, controlling for dental coverage and other socioeconomic and demographic factors, are more likely to have a dental visit than persons without private medical coverage. Having medical insurance with or without coverage for dental care is associated with an increased likelihood of having a dental visit. These data suggest a more complex role for dental insurance beyond that of traditional insurance motivation.
Conclusions:
These data suggest that programmes designed to improve dental access with added dental coverage may not be sufficient to remedy access deficiencies and may offer only modest extra incentives to use dental services over and above medical insurance.
Related Concept Videos
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Introduction To Health Care Delivery System
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocates for a patient-centered, effective, safe, timely, equitable, and effective healthcare system. The National Priorities...
Standards of Care I
Healthcare Agencies II
Parish nursing is a growing specialty nursing profession that focuses on holistic healthcare, health promotion, and illness prevention. It blends professional nursing practice with a health ministry, focusing on health and healing within the context of a Christian community. Parish nurses serve as health educators, referral sources, and lay...
Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...

