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Variations in children's dental service use based on four national health surveys

Melissa A Romaire1, Janice F Bell, Colleen E Huebner

  • 1RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. mromaire@rti.org

Pediatrics
|October 17, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Estimates of children's dental care use vary significantly across national surveys due to differing methods. Consistent disparities in dental service access and delayed care were observed across sociodemographic groups.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oral Health
  • Health Services Research
  • Survey Methodology

Background:

  • National surveys are crucial for monitoring children's oral health.
  • Understanding variations in survey data is essential for accurate health assessments.
  • Previous research highlights the importance of dental care access for children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare estimates of dental service utilization and delayed dental care across four major national surveys.
  • To identify variations in reporting methodologies and their impact on prevalence estimates.
  • To assess sociodemographic disparities in children's dental care access.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the National Survey of Children's Health, NHANES, National Health Interview Survey, and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2003-2007).
  • Prevalence estimation of dental service use, preventive dental services, and delayed dental care in children aged 2-17.
  • Logistic regression and odds ratios used to assess trends and sociodemographic disparities.

Main Results:

  • Significant variations in estimates for overall dental use (52%-81%) and preventive dental use (67%-78%) were found due to differing survey methodologies.
  • Rates of delayed dental care were low (3%-8%) but showed consistent sociodemographic disparities.
  • Methodological differences included survey items, recall periods, and elicitation protocols.

Conclusions:

  • Survey methodologies significantly influence estimates of children's dental service use and delayed care.
  • Under- or overestimation of dental service utilization is possible depending on the survey approach.
  • Methodological considerations are vital when interpreting population-based estimates for national oral health monitoring.
Abstract

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