Affiliation:
1. Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences Harvard School of Dental Medicine Boston Massachusetts USA
2. Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology Harvard School of Dental Medicine Boston Massachusetts USA
3. Department of Periodontics and Community Dentistry College of Dentistry at King Saud University Riyadh Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abstract
AbstractObjectivesTo assess the association between dental insurance, dental care utilization and oral health‐related impact on daily activities among patients visiting Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)‐funded health centers in the United States.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study examined the 2014 Health Center Patient Survey (HCPS), a survey of patients who received care at US health centers. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the likelihood of the oral health‐related impact on daily activities domains such as school/work performance, sleeping, eating/chewing, social and home activities considering sociodemographic, dental insurance, and dental care utilization.ResultsAmong 7002 total participants, 6890 self‐reported oral health‐related impact on daily activities. Adults aged 18–44 were 2.6 times more likely to report an overall impact on everyday life activities compared to children and adolescents. After adjusting for sociodemographics, Hispanic patients were less likely to report any oral health‐related impacts, while patients visiting rural centres reported higher odds of oral health related impairment. Patients who experienced delays in receiving dental care or were unable to access dental care when needed were 4.5 times more likely to encounter difficulties in their daily activities.ConclusionsThis study linked limited dental insurance and care to increased oral health issues impacting daily life, particularly among adults, rural populations, and those facing delay in dental care. This highlights the need for policy reforms and interventions aimed at improving dental care access to mitigate the detrimental effects of poor oral health on daily functions for vulnerable populations.
Reference29 articles.
1. NIDCR.Oral health in America: advances and challenges. Accessed 24 June 2022.https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealthinamerica.
2. 2000 surgeon general's report on oral health in America. Accessed 11 April 2023.https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data‐statistics/surgeon‐general.
3. Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2019).Institute for health metrics and evaluation. Accessed 29 January 2023.https://www.healthdata.org/gbd/2019.
4. Global oral health status report: towards universal health coverage for oral health by 2030. Accessed 29 January 2023.https://www.who.int/publications‐detail‐redirect/9789240061484.
5. Impact of Making Dental Care Affordable on Quality of Life in Adults Aged 45 Years and Older