Dental Unmet Need Research Articles

Cost-Associated Unmet Dental, Vision, And Hearing Needs Among Low-Income Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries.

Medicare Advantage (MA) supplemental benefits offered at no or low premiums are a key value proposition for low-income beneficiaries. Despite nearly $20billion in rebate payments to MA plans for funding supplemental benefits, their quality or enrollee access is not monitored. Using 2018-19 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data linked to MA plan data, we found that regardless of plan benefit generosity, low-income beneficiaries were more likely to report dental, vision, and hearing unmet needs because of cost. Enrollment in plans with higher corresponding-year (that is, the same year as unmet need measurement) star ratings was associated with lower dental unmet need. Income-related disparities in dental unmet needs were lower in the highest-rated plans. However, prior-year star ratings that determined plan payments were not associated with unmet needs or disparities in those needs. Policy makers should consider monitoring supplemental benefits for equity and access, and they should assess the value added by quality bonus payments to high-rated plans for beneficiaries' access.

The Effect of Rural Residence on Dental Unmet Need for Children With Special Health Care Needs

Unmet need for dental care is the most prevalent unmet health care need among children with special health care needs (CSHCN), even though these children are at a greater risk for dental problems. The combination of rural residence and special health care needs may leave rural CSHCN particularly vulnerable to high levels of unmet dental needs. To examine the effects of rural residence on unmet dental need for CSHCN. We use the nationally representative National Survey of CSHCN Needs. We performed logistic regression to estimate the independent effects of rural residence on the likelihood of having an unmet dental need, using a measure of unmet need based on professional society recommendations and a measure based on parental report. Using either of the measures, a substantial percentage of CSHCN do not receive all needed dental care. Rural CSHCN are more likely to forgo needed dental care than their urban counterparts. Our results suggest that rural CSHCN have unmet needs for dental care due to both difficulty accessing care and because their parents do not recognize a need. Traditional access barriers for rural children, such as inadequate provider supply and lack of insurance, may increase unmet needs both directly and indirectly, through their effects on parents' perceptions of need. Reducing unmet needs for dental care in rural children with special needs will require addressing both access issues and parents' understanding of dental care need.

Dental surgery attendance amongst patients with moderately advanced dementia attending a day unit: a survey of carers' views.

To ascertain the views of carers of patients with dementia, on the patient's dental health needs. Prospective survey using semi-structured interview. Dementia day care unit for patients living in their own homes. Twenty-eight carers of dementia sufferers were interviewed between March and September 2000, as part of regular clinical reviews of patient's needs. Carers' views on the dental care needs of patients were ascertained. Cognitive and behavioural assessments of patients were also made using the Clifton Assessment Procedure for the Elderly (CAPE). Dental unmet need ie the carer deciding that the patient needed a dental examination, but anticipating that this would be problematic, the carer would not take them. Twenty one per cent met criteria for dental unmet need. Carers of people with dementia may be reluctant to take those they care for to the dentist. We need to explore ways to ensure appropriate dental surgery attendance.

Dental attendance of patients with dementia

Objective To ascertain the views of carers of patients with dementia, on the patient's dental health needs. Design Prospective survey using semi-structured interview. Setting Dementia day care unit for patients living in their own homes. Subjects and method Twenty-eight carers of dementia sufferers were interviewed between March and September 2000, as part of regular clinical reviews of patient's needs. Carers' views on the dental care needs of patients were ascertained. Cognitive and behavioural assessments of patients were also made using the Clifton Assessment Procedure for the Elderly. Main outcome measure Dental unmet need ie the carer deciding that the patient needed a dental examination, but anticipating that this would be problematic, the carer would not take them. Results Twenty one per cent met criteria for dental unmet need. Conclusions Carers of people with dementia may be reluctant to take those they care for to the dentist. We need to explore ways to ensure appropriate dental surgery attendance.