Oral Health, U.S. 2002 Annual Report
Section 7: DELIVERY OF DENTAL SERVICES
| 7.1 |
Use of the oral health care system on an annual basis |
Education, income, and minority status were correlated with use of the oral health care system. Low-income and minority Americans may lack dental insurance, making oral health care more difficult to obtain. After controlling for a number of variables including poverty status and dental insurance coverage, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics were significantly less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have visited a dentist within the past year, suggesting the existence of other barriers to care (Manski & Magder, 1998).
Estimates of dental care usage vary among national surveys (Manski et al., 2001). For example, the 1993 National Health Interview Survey reported that 64% of the U.S. population visited a dentist during the past year, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) reported 52% had used the oral health care system, and the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey reported 45%. Differences in the estimates may be due to differences in the survey methodologies.
SOURCE OF DATA
Analyses reported here are based on the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Demographic differences
- The percentage of people visiting a dentist within the past year was lowest among children aged 2 to 4 years. Among adults the percentage was lower for those aged 75 and older (Figure 7.1.1).
- Non-Hispanic whites were more likely than non-Hispanic blacks and Mexican Americans to have visited a dentist during the previous year.
- Females were more likely than males to have visited a dentist during the past year (Figure 7.1.2).
- A greater percentage of persons living at or above the federal poverty level visited a dentist during the past year compared to those living below the federal poverty level (Figure 7.1.2).
- The percentage of persons with a dental visit during the past year increased with each successive level of education (Figure 7.1.2).
Bullets reference data that can be found in Table 7.1.1.
REFERENCES
Manski RJ, Magder LS. Demographic and socioeconomic predictors of dental care utilization.
J Am Dent Assoc 1998;129:195–200.
Manski RJ, Moeller JF, Maas WR. Dental services: an analysis of utilization over 20 years.
J Am Dent Assoc 2001;132:655–664.
Figure 7.1.1. Percentage of the U.S. population that visited a dentist within the past year by age group
 [D]
Data source: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Figure 7.1.2. Percentage of the U.S. population that visited a dentist within the past year by selected demographics
 [D]
Note: Education represents the education of the head of household for persons under 18; otherwise, it represents the education of the individual person.
Data source: The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) 1988–1994, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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