Mind the Inequality in Dental Care Utilization Among Thai Children

Methods: The nationally representative Health and Welfare Survey and Socio-Economic Survey 2007 of Thailand were used in this study. Data of 15736 representative Thai children, aged less than 15, were analyzed. Descriptive analyses were performed to reveal the features of dental care utilization among Thai children. Furthermore, concentration index was employed to measure socioeconomic-related inequality in dental care utilization. Decomposition method was used to examine determinants and its associations with inequality in dental care.

Results: There is the persistence of unequivocal gradient in dental care utilization among Thai children and the socioeconomic-related inequality in dental care utilization is pro-rich as the positive value of concentration index emerged (equals 0.069). That is, dental care utilization are more concentrated among the better-off children. The poor children, however, are more likely to utilize dental care at public facility particularly the primary care facility (i.e., health center and community hospital). Decomposition analysis demonstrates that certain demographic, socioeconomic and geographic characteristics are particularly associated with poor-rich differences in dental care utilization among Thai children.

Conclusion: The evidence of Thailand with universal coverage provides some lessons for other countries. Although socioeconomic inequality in dental care utilization among Thai children still exists, the pro-poor dental care utilization at public facility particularly primary care facility substantiate the impressive stride towards the concerted effort to alleviating inequitable dental care for Thai children.