Dental care coverage and use: modeling limitations and opportunities

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Dental Public Health

Background:

• Older US adults without dental care coverage and use exhibit lower utilization rates compared to those with existing coverage.
• Understanding the factors influencing this disparity is crucial for improving dental care access in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the reasons behind lower dental care utilization among older US adults who lack dental insurance and usage, even when coverage is offered.
• To identify personal characteristics associated with dental care coverage and usage in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study.
• Employed a multinomial logistic model to analyze the influence of personal characteristics.
• Grouped older US adults based on dental care coverage and usage status.

Main Results:

• Individuals with dental care coverage and usage were more likely to be younger, female, wealthier, college-educated, married, and in excellent or very good health.
• Healthier individuals with fewer missing permanent teeth were also more likely to have coverage and use dental care.
• Conversely, those without coverage and without dental care use were less likely to possess these characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Simply providing dental care coverage to uninsured older adults without prior use may not lead to equivalent usage rates as those with existing coverage and use.
• A model incorporating modifiable factors has been proposed to assist policymakers in developing programs to enhance dental care coverage uptake and utilization.
• Addressing personal characteristics and socioeconomic factors is key to increasing dental care access for older adults.