Disparity in Access for People with Disabilities to Outpatient Dental Care Services: a Retrospective Cohort Study

Overview

Journal BMC Oral Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Dentistry

Date 2023 Apr 14

PMID 37060034

Authors

Bo-Young Park

Han-A Cho

Hosung Shin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: People with disabilities face difficulties in oral health management and gaining access to dental care. The availability of a regular source of dental care (RSDC) is an important factor that influences the access to health services and care management. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the availability of RSDC on the number of annual dental visits and dental expenses per visit among people with disabilities.

Methods: Data of 7,896,251 patients with dental problems in South Korea were analyzed using the 2002-2018 National Health Insurance claims data. A generalized estimating equation was applied to analyze the repeated-measurement data, and the interaction effect between RSDC and the disability severity was evaluated.

Results: The number of annual dental visits was higher among people with (2.62) than among those without (2.23) disabilities. Despite their increased dental needs, both annual dental visits and dental expenses per visit were low among older individuals (p < 0.001). The proportion and frequency of annual dental visits was lower among women than among men with disabilities. RSDC had differential effects on the severity of disability. Compared to people without disabilities, RSDC increased the number of annual dental visits (p = 0.067) and the dental expenses per visit (p < 0.05) among those with severe disabilities, but the effect on the number of annual dental visits was not significant among those with mild disabilities (p = 0.698).

Conclusions: Our results suggest a need for a special dental care system for people with disabilities, to ensure an RSDC, particularly for women and for older people with disabilities.

Citing Articles

Retrospective Evaluation of 20 Years of Outpatient Dental Services to Adults with Disabilities at the Dental Hospitals of the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria.

Schnabl D, Strohm M, Schummer P, Sigwart L, Kapferer-Seebacher I Healthcare (Basel). 2024; 12(5).

PMID: 38470614 PMC: 10931228. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12050503.

Access to dental care in individuals with disability: a systematic review.

Bhadauria U, Purohit B, Priya H Evid Based Dent. 2024; 25(2):111.

PMID: 38225370 DOI: 10.1038/s41432-024-00970-3.

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