Utilization of prepaid dental health care by students in health professional schools.

Utilization of prepaid dental health care was studied, involving health professional students in an open panel program at the University of Alabama Medical Center. Major barriers to treatment were eliminated and optimal conditions for utilization established. Annual utilization ranged from 44-61 per cent during the period extending from 1969-70 to 1975-76. The majority of enrollees treated sought care from the Student Dental Health Plan (SDHP) clinic, rather than from private practitioners. Thirteen per cent of recent graduates presented for treatment at least once each year during their tenure as students, 57 per cent sought care in more than one year, and 24 per cent did not seek care at all. It was concluded that factors other than cost, accessibility, and educational level operate to prevent total utilization of prepaid dental health care in a young adult age group.