Does preventive dental care reduce nonpreventive dental visits and expenditures among Medicaid-enrolled adults?

Abstract

To determine whether preventive dental visits are associated with fewer subsequent nonpreventive dental visits and lower dental expenditures. Indiana Medicaid enrollment and claims data (2015-2018) and the Area Health Resource File. A repeated measures design with individual and year fixed effects examining the relationship between preventive dental visits (PDVs) and nonpreventive dental visits (NPVs) and dental expenditures. Not applicable. Of 28,152 adults (108,349 observation-years) meeting inclusion criteria, 36.0% had a dental visit, 27.8% a PDV, and 22.1% a NPV. Compared to no PDV in the prior year, at least one was associated with fewer NPVs (β=-0.13; 95% CI -0.12, -0.11), lower NPV expenditures (β=-$29.12.53; 95% CI -28.07, -21.05), and lower total dental expenditures (-$70.12; 95% -74.92, -65.31), as well as fewer PDVs (β=-0.24; 95% CI -0.26, -0.23). Our findings suggest that prior year PDVs are associated with fewer subsequent NPVs and lower dental expenditures among Medicaid-enrolled adults. Thus, from a public insurance program standpoint, supporting preventive dental care use may translate into improved population oral health outcomes and lower dental costs among certain low-income adult populations, but barriers to consistent utilization of PDV prohibit definitive findings.