IADR Abstract Archives
Understanding Oral Health Utilization: the Survey for National Oral Health Equity
Objectives: This study aims to assess American’s attitudes towards dental care and reasons for not planning on receiving routine or preventive care in the next year.
Methods: The DentaQuest Partnership conducted a national survey of 5,320 people to measure American’s attitudes and experiences with oral health and care. In this analysis, we examine patterns in attitudes towards dental care and utilization and trends in influencing sociodemographic factors using qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Results: The survey revealed that 7.2% of respondents did not plan to see an oral health provider in the next year. Lower household income correlated with increased likelihood of not planning to see an oral health provider in the next year. In addition, those with Medicaid, other government programs or Medicare as their dental insurance provider were twice as likely to say they did not plan on seeing the dentist in the next year.
Reasons for not visiting a provider included: fear of COVID-19 exposure, fear of dentist or procedures, cost, no insurance, no need, or other. Other open-ended responses included: poor dental quality services, fear of discrimination, lack of trust in dental providers, lack of transportation, and low perceived need for oral health care.
Conclusions: This study provides insights into the factors that influence patient’s decisions and behaviors to delay or forgo dental care. From this data we can identify opportunities and solutions to help those that are most disproportionally not planning on seeing an oral health provider for routine or preventive care.
Methods: The DentaQuest Partnership conducted a national survey of 5,320 people to measure American’s attitudes and experiences with oral health and care. In this analysis, we examine patterns in attitudes towards dental care and utilization and trends in influencing sociodemographic factors using qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Results: The survey revealed that 7.2% of respondents did not plan to see an oral health provider in the next year. Lower household income correlated with increased likelihood of not planning to see an oral health provider in the next year. In addition, those with Medicaid, other government programs or Medicare as their dental insurance provider were twice as likely to say they did not plan on seeing the dentist in the next year.
Reasons for not visiting a provider included: fear of COVID-19 exposure, fear of dentist or procedures, cost, no insurance, no need, or other. Other open-ended responses included: poor dental quality services, fear of discrimination, lack of trust in dental providers, lack of transportation, and low perceived need for oral health care.
Conclusions: This study provides insights into the factors that influence patient’s decisions and behaviors to delay or forgo dental care. From this data we can identify opportunities and solutions to help those that are most disproportionally not planning on seeing an oral health provider for routine or preventive care.