Social Determinants of Health in Dental Medicine

Objectives: Unmet dental needs impact quality of life. Previous research suggests that social determinants of health are the root cause of unmet dental care needs. However, there is a lack of studies that utilize a large nationally representative sample population and an array of factors to explore disparities of dental needs. The goal of this study was to examine the intersection between social determinants of health and unmet dental care needs on a national level.

Methods: Data used for this study was taken from the 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Descriptive statistics were performed to look at the sample characteristics using mean, standard deviation, count and proportion. Sample weights were applied to obtain prevalence estimates that represented the nation’s population. Chi-squared test was then used to examine the differences in social determinants of health in people with and without unmet dental care needs.

Results: There were a total of 33,929 participants in this study, representing 323,141,687 people in the United States (US). The average age of the sample population was 46.5 years; 52.3% of this sample population were female and 42.0% were male. Out of those with unmet dental needs, more individuals reported not having dental insurance (7%) than having dental insurance (4%). A larger percentage of people with public health insurance (8.8%) reported unmet dental needs than those with private health insurance (4.6%). As well, more individuals born in the US were found to experience unmet dental care needs (6.3%) compared to individuals born outside of the US (5.0%).
Conclusions: This study demonstrated a strong relationship between social determinants of health and unmet dental care needs. These findings provide us with valuable information that can help us identify and aid individuals who are at risk of having unmet dental care needs more efficiently and effectively.