Determinants of Demand for Dental Services at Household Level

Abstract

Introduction: Dental health is one of the primary requisites of life which the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes on its continuous improvement during the 21st century. This review aimed at identifying the factors affecting household dental demand in order to establish a comprehensive oral and dental health plan.Method: This study has reviewed the literature on demand determinants of household dental services published in English and Persian languages following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses PRISMA protocol. Critical appraisal of the selected articles have been performed using CASP and PRISMA checklists. Data analysis have been carried out and presented as a narrative synthesis.Results: Among 2016 retrieved articles, 1786 were excluded from this study. From the 230 remained articles, only 16 full-text articles were included and assessed for their contents. The main determinants of dental services demand were classified into three groups; demographic, classic, and complementary.Conclusion: It is necessary to consider the socio-demographic, classical, and complementary factors for estimating household dental demand. Identifying the affecting factors of household dental service demand is helpful in obtaining an accurate empirical estimation through analyzing consumers’ behaviors by calculating demand elasticity. Drawing policymakers’ attention to these factors will lead to provision of dental services according to the households expectations.