Dental care coverage and use: modeling limitations and opportunities

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Dental Public Health

Background:

• Older adults in the US without dental care coverage often exhibit lower utilization rates compared to those with coverage.
• Understanding the factors influencing this disparity is crucial for improving oral health outcomes in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reasons behind lower dental care use among older US adults offered coverage, compared to those already possessing it.
• To identify personal characteristics associated with dental care coverage and utilization in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study.
• Employed a multinomial logistic model to analyze factors influencing dental care coverage and use.
• Grouped older US adults based on their dental care coverage and utilization status.

Main Results:

• Individuals with dental care coverage and utilization were more likely to be younger, female, wealthier, college-educated, married, and in excellent/very good health.
• These users were also less likely to be missing all permanent teeth compared to those without coverage and use.

Conclusions:

• Simply providing dental care coverage to uninsured older adults may not lead to usage rates comparable to those with existing coverage and prior use.
• A model incorporating modifiable factors is proposed to assist policymakers in developing programs to enhance dental care coverage uptake and utilization.