Tooth Loss Condition and Social Discrimination in Brazilian Healthcare Services

Objective: To explore factors associated with social discrimination against users of health services regarding dental aesthetic conditions. Methods: Based on a Brazilian National Survey, multivariate Poisson regressions with robust variance were used to explore the association of outcome discrimination related to different motivations in health services and exposure to sociodemographic and dental variables. Effect modification by complete prosthesis wearing was assessed. Results: Among the 60,200 people interviewed, 11.5% reported being discriminated against in health services. For women, a higher prevalence of discrimination was found among those in the age group of 30-44 years. For both sexes, discrimination was associated with black and brown skin color. Regarding dental characteristics, the higher the tooth loss was, the higher the prevalence of discrimination; however, complete prosthesis wearing presented as a protective factor. Social discrimination was the major motivation for reported discrimination and presented higher prevalence in edentulous individuals who did not wear prosthesis. Conclusion: Dental loss may lead to self-reported discrimination in health care services. The prevalence of discrimination increases when tooth loss increases, and the major reason associated is social discrimination.