Associations among dental insurance, dental visits, and unmet needs of US children

• Published in: The Journal of the American Dental Association (1939) Vol. 148; no. 2; pp. 92 - 99
• Main Authors: Yu, Zhou J., BSc, Elyasi, Maryam, DDS, Amin, Maryam, DMD, MSc, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 01.02.2017; American Dental Association
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Dental care; dental care for children; Dental Care for Children - statistics & numerical data; Dental Care for Children - utilization; dental care use; Dental insurance; dental public health; Dentistry; Female; Health Services Needs and Demand - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Insurance; Insurance coverage; insurance, dental; Insurance, Dental - statistics & numerical data; Male; Medicaid - statistics & numerical data; Medically Uninsured - statistics & numerical data; pediatric dentistry; Pediatrics; Socioeconomic Factors; uncompensated care; United States; United States > US; NHIS; dental insurance; dental care; pediatric dentistry; CMS; uncompensated care; National Health Interview Survey; dental care use; Affordable Care Act; dental public health; Federal poverty guidelines; Insurance; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; dental care for children; FPG; insurance, dental; ADA; American Dental Association; ACA
• ISSN: 0002-8177; 1943-4723
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adaj.2016.11.013

Abstract Background In this study, the authors explored the associations between dental visits and unmet dental needs of children on the basis of their insurance type in the United States. Methods The authors used the National Health Interview Surveys from 1997 through 2014 to collect data on dental visits, unmet dental needs, and type of insurance for children aged 2 to 17 years in the United States. Unmet dental need was based on not receiving needed dental care during the past year because of financial constraints. Insurance types reported were private, Medicaid or public, other, and uninsured. The authors performed Pearson correlation coefficient analyses and used descriptive summary statistics. Results The number of uninsured children decreased by 58% from 1997 through 2014 with a substantial shift from private to public insurance coverage. Regardless of type, dental insurance status was associated positively with the use of dental services and negatively associated with levels of unmet dental needs. Unmet needs in the public insurance group decreased consistently since 2009. There was a significant negative correlation ( P  < .05) between dental visits and unmet dental needs with respect to public insurance, whereas there was no significant correlation for private insurance. Conclusions Dental insurance played a significant role in children’s use of dental services and their level of unmet dental needs. Practical Implications The shift toward the use of public insurance along with a significant association between unmet needs and dental visits support the effectiveness of publicly funded programs in facilitating the use of dental services in the United States.