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Dental service mix among working‐age adults in the U nited S tates, 1999 and 2009
Author(s) -
Manski Richard J.,
Macek Mark D.,
Brown Erwin,
Carper Kelly V.,
Cohen Leonard A.,
Vargas Clemencia
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/jphd.12032
Subject(s) - receipt , medicine , workforce , dental insurance , type of service , medical expenditure panel survey , descriptive statistics , family medicine , health care , service (business) , health insurance , gerontology , oral health , business , accounting , marketing , economics , economic growth , statistics , mathematics
Abstract Objective In the U nited S tates, health‐care costs are increasing while state and federal budgets contract. In order to establish a baseline and provide data for alternative oral health workforce models, this report describes the types of dental procedures received by US working‐age adults in 2009 and looks at trends since 1999. Methods Data for this analysis came from the 1999 and 2009 M edical E xpenditure P anel S urveys. The primary outcome variable represented the types of dental procedures undergone during a dental visit in the preceding year. Descriptive variables included dental insurance coverage and income. Analysis was restricted to adults aged 21‐64 years. Results In 2009, diagnostic and preventive procedures accounted for >75 percent of all dental services received by working‐age adults. Those with public insurance and those who were uninsured, as well as those with lower income, were less likely to receive these services than their peers. Between 1999 and 2009, small but statistically significant increases in the proportion of preventive and diagnostic procedures received occurred in the nation. The likelihood that a preventive service would be received during a visit also increased during this period, while the probability that a restorative procedure would be undergone went down. Conclusions Preventive‐type procedures represented the vast majority of dental services received by working‐age adults in 2009. Between 1999 and 2009, receipt of preventive‐type procedures generally increased while receipt of surgical‐type procedures decreased. These findings emphasize the health‐promoting role of the dental team and provide a baseline for the measurement of future trends.