OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of public dental care spending and insurance coverage on dental services utilization disparities among different Canadian jurisdictions. METHODS: We utilized Canadian Institute for Health Information provincial/territorial per capita estimates for public dental care expenditure, public information on legislated dental care programs, and oral health data from the 2007-2008 Canadian Community Health Survey to make inferences regarding the relationship between dentist visits in the past 12 months and self-perceived oral health. We performed descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between dentist visits and self-perceived oral health status at the provincial/territorial level and on stratified data based on three age groups - children (12-17 years), adults (18-64 years), and seniors (65 years and older). RESULTS: Overall, the presence of the "inverse care law" in dental care at the provincial/territorial level was evident. However, in the Canadian territories, which had the highest per capita public dental care expenditure, individuals with poor oral health had the highest odds of visiting a dentist compared with other jurisdictions. In jurisdictions with public dental care programs for children and/or seniors, children and seniors with poor oral health were more likely to visit dentists. CONCLUSIONS: Jurisdictions with more public spending and greater population coverage for dental care appear to better cater to those with the highest oral health care needs.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of public dental care spending and insurance coverage on dental services utilization disparities among different Canadian jurisdictions. METHODS: We utilized Canadian Institute for Health Information provincial/territorial per capita estimates for public dental care expenditure, public information on legislated dental care programs, and oral health data from the 2007-2008 Canadian Community Health Survey to make inferences regarding the relationship between dentist visits in the past 12 months and self-perceived oral health. We performed descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis to determine the relationship between dentist visits and self-perceived oral health status at the provincial/territorial level and on stratified data based on three age groups - children (12-17 years), adults (18-64 years), and seniors (65 years and older). RESULTS: Overall, the presence of the "inverse care law" in dental care at the provincial/territorial level was evident. However, in the Canadian territories, which had the highest per capita public dental care expenditure, individuals with poor oral health had the highest odds of visiting a dentist compared with other jurisdictions. In jurisdictions with public dental care programs for children and/or seniors, children and seniors with poor oral health were more likely to visit dentists. CONCLUSIONS: Jurisdictions with more public spending and greater population coverage for dental care appear to better cater to those with the highest oral health care needs.
Authors: Abraha Woldemichael; Satar Rezaei; Ali Kazemi Karyani; Mohammad Ebrahimi; Shahin Soltani; Abbas Aghaei Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2021-07-28 Impact factor: 3.295