Abstract
BackgroundDental services have one of the highest expenses among health services. The aims of the study were to assess (1) dental expenditure (DE), (2) catastrophic dental expenditure (CDE), (3) dental services payment and (4) factors associated with DE and CDE.Material and MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted in 2018 in Saudi Arabia. Using convenience sample, participants were recruited from governmental and private dental clinics/hospitals. A questionnaire assessed (a) personal information, (b) dental background: payment methods, type of clinics visited, perceived oral health status, frequency of pain and (c) payment for dental services received. The number of remaining teeth was clinically assessed. Two outcome variables were assessed (1) total DE in linear regression and (b) CDE (DE exceeds 10% of income) in logistic regression. Personal and dental background variables were explanatory variables.ResultsThe response rate was 83.8% (419/500) with 43% reporting expenditure, 16.5% facing CDE and 36.3% using multiple payment methods. The greatest DE was for crowns and bridges, root canal therapy, fillings and implants. Income, payment method and pain were associated with DE and CDE.ConclusionsParticipants used multiple payment methods including out of pocket and faced CDE. The bulk of expenditure was for rehabilitative services. The availability and quality of health-insured primary care services may reduce the financial burden facing dental patients. Key words:Health expenditure, Saudi Arabia, dental care, insurance, dental, universal health insurance.
Highlights
Health expenditure is money spent by individuals, groups, nations, or organizations for health care, may be equivalent to actual cost and may be shared among patients, insurers, and employers (1)
The hypothesis of this study was that dental services are provided in governmental clinics, that governmental insurance pays for dental care, and that catastrophic dental expenditure (CDE) is lower than in other countries without universal health coverage (UHC)
The present study showed that participants used multiple payment methods for dental services; governmental insurance and out of pocket (OOP) were used and more frequent than private insurance which had a minor role in financing dental services
Summary
Health expenditure is money spent by individuals, groups, nations, or organizations for health care, may be equivalent to actual cost and may be shared among patients, insurers, and employers (1). OOP payment may be associated with catastrophic dental expenditure (CDE) if payment for dental services exceeds 10%-20% of household income (12). This emphasizes the importance of universal health coverage (UHC) where people receive health services without exposure to undue financial burden (13). The study assessed the (1) pattern of DE, (2) prevalence of CDE, (3) payment methods for dental services, and (4) factors associated with DE and CDE. A questionnaire assessed (a) personal information, (b) dental background: payment methods, type of clinics visited, perceived oral health status, frequency of pain and (c) payment for dental services received. The availability and quality of health-insured primary care services may reduce the financial burden facing dental patients
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