The Relationship Between Dental Utilization and Preventive Participation Among a Well-elderly Sample (original) (raw)
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Utilization of dental services in old age
2015
Regular utilization of dental services helps to improve and maintain oral and general health, even in old age. However, utilization behavior for dental services changes with age: preventive utilization behavior is often replaced by a symptom-driven one. With age, a decrease in the utilization of dental services can be observed, whilst the frequency of contact with physicians increases. The present review describes the current knowledge regarding the utilization of dental services in old age (frequency, reasons for non-utilization, modifying factors). The reasons for non-utilization of dental services are multidimensional: subjective reasons and other objective modifying factors can be distinguished. The frequency of utilization also differs with personal context and attitude. On the basis of the available evidence no conclusive explanation could be provided. A checklist should allow dental practitioners to monitor the factors that affect the utilization of services within their own ...
Community factors predicting dental care utilization among older adults
The Journal of the American Dental Association, 2014
Background-Few investigators have studied the influence of community factors on dental care utilization among older adults. The authors' objective in this study was to investigate the effect of community factors on dental care utilization after adjustment for individual factors. Methods-Using data from a cross-sectional survey of Ohio residents, the authors assessed dental care utilization in a sample of 2,166 adults aged 65 years or older. They linked individuallevel dental care utilization, predisposing factors (age, sex, race or ethnicity, marital status, education), enabling factors (poverty, dental insurance) and need-related factors (physical and mental health problems) with county-level data (socioeconomic environment and health resource environment) from the 2010 Area Health Resource Files (from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) and the American Community Survey (from the 2006-2010 U.S. Census). Using multilevel logistic regression models, the authors evaluated the association between dental care utilization and community factors after adjustment for individual factors. Results-The results indicated that individual factors such as being female, married and nonpoor and having a higher educational level and private dental insurance were associated with higher odds of having utilized dental care. Furthermore, older adults living in a county with a higher dentist-to-population ratio were more likely to use dental services even after the authors adjusted the results for the individual-level factors (odds ratio = 1.10, P = .03). Conclusions-County-level dentist-to-population ratio has independent effects on older adults' dental care utilization even after adjustment for individual-level characteristics. Practical Implications-A comprehensive policy plan is required to intervene at both the individual and community levels to improve dental care utilization among older adults.
Understanding Dental Service Use by Older Adults: Sociobehavioral Factors vs Need
Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 1994
Objectives: This study investigated correlates of dental care use in a representative sample of adults aged 70 and older throughout New England. Methods: Data were collected in in-home interviews and dental examinations. Following Andersen's behavioral model of health services utilization, varied measures of sociodemgraphic characteristics, dental health attitudes and practices, perceived need for care, and need objectively determined by clinical examination were included as potential correlates. Results: Recency of last visit was associated with positive attitudes toward dental care, regular dental hygiene, and having a usual source of care. Among dentulous subjects, recency of last visit also was related to sex and living arrangements. Frequency of visits for dentulous subjects was associated with the same variables, as well as with age and social class or education, in addition to need for care. For edentulous subjects, only a usual sourse of care and higher social class were associated with more frequent visits. Conciusions: Perceived need and attitudes toward dental care are itnpottant influences on use of care. Older persons must be convinced of the importance of regular dental care.
Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 2017
Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether the utilization rate of preventive oral health care services while senior adults were community-dwelling differed from the rate after those same senior adults were admitted to nursing facilities. A secondary objective was to evaluate other significant predictors of receipt of preventive oral health procedures after nursing facility entry. Methods: Iowa Medicaid claims from 2007-2014 were accessed for adults who were 681 years upon entry to a nursing facility and continuously enrolled in Medicaid for at least three years before and at least two years after admission (n 5 874). Univariate, bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted. Results: During the five years that subjects were followed, 52.8% never received a dental exam and 75.9% never received a dental hygiene procedure. More Medicaidenrolled senior adults received 1 preventive dental procedure in the two years while residing in a nursing facility compared to the three years before entry. In multivariable analyses, the strongest predictor of preventive oral health care utilization after entry was the receipt of preventive oral health services before entry (p < 0.01). Conclusions: The strongest predictor of receipt of dental procedures in the two years after nursing facility entry was the receipt of dental procedures in the three years before entry while community-dwelling. This underscores the importance of the senior adult establishing a source of dental care while community-dwelling.
BMC Health Services Research, 2019
Background: The first aim was to present descriptive data on the frequency of dental visits among older adults in Germany. The second aim was to identify the determinants of the number of dental visits using a longitudinal approach. Methods: Longitudinal data were derived from the German Ageing Survey, which is a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals ≥40 years in Germany. The frequency of dental visits in the past 12 months was recorded in the years 2002, 2008 and 2011. In order to control for time-constant unobserved heterogeneity, Poisson fixed effects regressions were used. Results: While the mean number of dental visits was 2.3 (SD: 2.0) in 2002, it was 2.0 (SD: 1.7) in 2008 and 2.1 (SD: 1.7) in 2011. The frequency of dental visits declined with age (total sample and women), transitions from normal weight to overweight (total sample), changes from divorced/widowed/single/married, living separated from spouse to 'married, living together with spouse' in women and with a decrease in the number of physical illnesses (total sample and men). Conclusions: The frequency of dental visits declines with age in older adults. While some of the determinants of frequency are non-modifiable (e.g., ageing and worsening of general health), others are modifiable (e.g., change in weight category).
Barriers Affecting the Utilization of Dental Health Services among Community Dwelling Older Adults
Alexandria Scientific Nursing Journal, 2018
Adequate access to oral health care services becomes essential, as it provides opportunities for health promotion, disease prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of oral diseases. Objective: Assess the barriers affecting the utilization of dental health services among community dwelling older adults. Setting: The geriatric outpatient clinics of specialized medical hospital, Mansoura University and general hospital, Ministry of Health. Subjects: 612 elderly persons aged 60 years and above. Tools: Older Adults' Socio-demgraphic and Clinical Data Structured Interview Schedule, Older Adults' Barriers to dental care utilization Structured Interview Schedule, Katz and Akpom Scale and Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). Results: The most frequent barriers reported by the elders are high cost of dental services, lack of awareness about the importance of dental checkup, fear of dental procedure, difficult transportation and long distance, and bad past experience. Conclusion: Pred...