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Racial/Ethnic Disparity in Utilization of General Dental Care Services Among US Adults: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2012

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Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study was to examine racial/ethnic disparity and associated factors in general dental care utilization among US adults.

Methods

Data were adults 18–85 years old (N = 27,394) from the 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). The outcome was the receipt of general dental care, measured by (1) whether the individual has ever had a general dental visit and (2) the number of general dental visits the individual has had during the past year. Race/ethnicity was the primary interest. Logistic regressions and negative binomial regressions were conducted using STATA version 12 to assess the effect of race/ethnicity on the receipt of general dental care both independently and adjusted for other demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Results

Non-Hispanic blacks (odds ratio (OR) 0.39, 95 % confidence intervals (CI) 0.37–0.43), Hispanics (0.34, 0.43–0.37), and other minorities (0.61, 0.56–0.68) were less likely to report general dental visits both independently and adjusted for other demographic and socioeconomic factors, compared with non-Hispanic whites. General dental visits were more likely to be observed among individuals who were female, married, native speakers, living in a metropolitan statistical area, and with dental insurance, and the number of visits was increasing with age, educational level, and family income.

Conclusion

The race/ethnicity disparity in the utilization of general dental care still existed. Policy makers and dental care providers should promote dental insurance coverage and language support programs, and increase the diversity of dental professionals among minorities to encourage their visits to dentists.

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Acknowledgments

No financial support was provided for the completion of this study. The author acknowledges the efforts of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) in the creation of the database. The interpretation and reporting of these data are the sole responsibilities of the author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Yefei Zhang

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  1. Yefei Zhang
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Correspondence to Yefei Zhang.

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Zhang, Y. Racial/Ethnic Disparity in Utilization of General Dental Care Services Among US Adults: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2012. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 3, 565–572 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-015-0175-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-015-0175-y

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