US Dental Care Expenditure: Past, Present and Future

Objectives: Dental care expenditure in the United States overall has increased dramatically in recent decades, yet the distribution of expenditures across demographic groups and clinical settings is less clear. This study sought to examine dental care expenditures in the United States over the past two decades and made projection into the next decades.
Methods:
We obtained the data from the 1996 to 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and analyzed US dental care expenditures over the last twenty years and made forecast into the future. All expenditures were adjusted for inflation to the year 2016 dollars. Graphical display of various demographic groups’ expenditures and projections was presented.
Results:
Overall, dental expenditures per person have increased over the last two decades. However, the growth of dental expenditures has not been equally distributed between different socio-demographics and clinical practices. The largest increases in spending are found in those individuals 65 years or older and in individuals who have public insurance, where dental expenditures per person has nearly doubled. Growth has been more moderate for males and females alike, individuals under 65 years of age, and those on private insurance. All races show moderate growth with expenditures for Black individuals increasing more than White or Asian. General dental practice has substantial different patterns than orthodontic and other specialties in the expenditure trends and projections.
Conclusions:
This study provides a glimpse of dental expenditures from the past and into the future. Although it is encouraging to see that overall dental expenditures per person have increased, the disparity in dental expenditures by demographics and clinical practices keeps widening. Traditionally a population challenged with access to dental care, the elderly receiving more dental care is certainly positive, however it is clear that those who are not benefitted by public or private insurance have become an increasingly vulnerable population.