Oral Health, U.S. 2002 Annual Report
Section 16: DENTAL CARE WORKFORCE/
COST OF DENTAL CARE/
ACCESSIBILITY OF DENTAL CARE
Barriers that prevent many population groups in the United States from receiving
optimum oral health care can be measured in several ways:
-
Availability of dental health professionals and the ratio of dentists to
population
-
Costs for dental care and unmet need due to cost
-
Dental insurance coverage
The lack of dental health professionals in many areas of the country prevents
those living in underserved areas from obtaining optimum oral health care. The
ratio of dentists to population by state ranges from 31.3 to 69.0 per 100,000
population (Dill et al., 2000). The District of Columbia has a higher ratio of
dentists to population (94.9 per 100,000) than any state.
The cost of dental care may also interfere with people's ability to obtain
dental services. Significant increases have been reported in total dental
expenditures, per capita costs, and mean dental expenditures over the past
several decades (CMS, 2001; Moeller & Levy, 1996; Manski et al., 1999; Cohen et
al., 2000). Dental insurance coverage significantly increases a person's access
to dental care. Those with private dental insurance were more likely to have
seen a dentist in the past year. However, the National Association of Dental
Plans estimated that 56% of the U.S. population had dental insurance in 1999
(NADP, 2000).
This section examines the following: dental and medical insurance coverage,
trends in per capita costs and dental expenses, methods of payment for dental
care, dental health professional shortage areas, dentists to population ratios,
and minority representation among dentists and dental school graduates.
REFERENCES
Cohen JW, Machlin SR, Zuvekas SH, et al. Health Care Expenses in the United
States, 1996. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2000;
MEPS Research Findings 12. AHRQ Pub. No. 01–0009.
Dill M, Salsberg E, Wing P, et al. HRSA State Health Workforce Profiles.
Rockville, MD: Bureau of Health Professions, National Center for Health
Workforce Information & Analysis, Health Resources and Services Administration,
DHHS, 2000.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary: National
Health Statistics Group and U.S. Census Bureau, 2001, National Health Accounts.
Manski RJ, Moeller JF, Maas WR. Dental services: use, expenditures and sources
of payment, 1987. J Am Dent Assoc 1999;130(4):500–508.
Moeller J, Levy H. Dental services: a comparison of use, expenditures, and
sources of payment, 1977 and 1987. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, 1996; AHCPR Pub. No. 96–0005. National Medical
Expenditure Survey Research Findings 26.
National Association of Dental Plans. 2000 Dental Benefits Enrollment/Network
Profile. Dallas, TX.
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