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Predicting utilization of dental services by the aged
J M Holtzman1, A B Berkey, J Mann
1UMDNJ New Jersey Dental School, Department of Pediatrics and Community Health, Newark 07103.
Journal of Public Health Dentistry
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Older adults utilize dental services more when they have teeth, perceive a need for care, and experience recent symptoms. Dental fear had minimal impact on utilization.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Dental Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Access to dental care is crucial for older adults' overall health and well-being.
- Understanding factors influencing dental service utilization in the elderly is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key factors differentiating dental service utilizers from non-utilizers in community-dwelling older adults.
- To assess the relative importance of demographic, need-based, and psychological factors in predicting dental care use.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of 200 community-dwelling adults aged 60-89.
- Data collected on dental service utilization, dentate status, perceived treatment needs, recent symptom experiences, and dental fear/anxiety.
- Discriminant analysis employed to identify predictors of utilization.
Main Results:
- Dentate status, perceived need, and recent symptom experiences were significant predictors of dental service utilization.
- Dental fear and anxiety measures showed a marginal contribution to classification accuracy.
- Removing dentate status increased the relative importance of fear and anxiety in predicting utilization.
Conclusions:
- Perceived need, symptom experience, and having natural teeth are primary drivers of dental service use in older adults.
- Dental fear/anxiety play a limited role, though their influence may increase when other factors are controlled.